


Hogwartvengers: The Post-Grad Years

by orphan_account



Series: Hogwartvengers 'Verse [8]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: F/F, F/M, Hogwarts AU, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-24
Updated: 2013-05-04
Packaged: 2017-12-09 09:24:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 26,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/772601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Having left school and started making their own way, the Avengers are now beginning to face what comes with being an adult; jobs, houses, kids, the works. The rest of the wizarding world had better watch out!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fandral

**3 Months Post-Graduation**

.-.

Hands in the pockets of his trousers, Fandral leaned against the lamppost and watched the crowd of excitable Hogwarts students flooding the village, chatting to each other with grins on their faces and their cheeks pink from the late-September cold. It was hard to believe that three months ago, he'd been part of that. Everything seemed so different, now.

A grin tugged at his lips as he spotted a familiar red and grey knitted hat bobbing along through the crowd; the hat Frigga had knitted Sif years ago, and she still kept. Pushing away from the lamppost, he made his way through the crowd, beaming by the time he reached his younger friend. She smiled widely in reply, rushing into him for a tight hug. It had only been three and a half weeks since they had last seen each other, but it felt like years. "Oh, my dear, it is so wonderful to see you," he murmured, kissing her forehead.

"Have you come alone?" she asked, surprised, peering over his shoulder for a sign of Volstagg or Hogun.

"Indeed," he confirmed. "Thor is around here somewhere with Loki, but we thought it might be a little overwhelming for you to have us all back at once." Her cheeks flushed, and he smiled at her; there was no shame in missing them, as he had told her when she'd cried before boarding the train at the beginning of the year. "But they have promised to come with me next time.

"Then I look forward to it," Sif said, grinning. "They are both probably busy preparing for auror training, anyway." Their training didn't start for another two weeks, but both of them were learning as many new spells and charms as possible, wanting to be as ready for it as they possibly could. They planned to be top of their class along with Phil, Maria, Thor and Peggy, and knew they would need the edge.

"How are you?" Fandral asked, eyes darkening briefly in concern. He saw several girls in Darcy's year trying to catch his eye across the courtyard, but ignored them; he was there to visit Sif, not to revisit his days as the Hogwarts Casanova.

"I'm fine," she replied, laughing, and her arm linked through his as they started walking further into the village, no particular destination in mind. It wasn't yet cold enough to need refuge in the Three Broomsticks, and this early in the visit all the shops would no doubt be crowded. "And yourself?" They had spoken on the phone and on video chat, of course, but it wasn't the same as in-person conversation.

"Very well, thank you. Though I must admit, living with Volstagg and Hogun outside the carefully organised walls of Hogwarts is… an experience," he added wryly, making her giggle. "Neither of them are particularly fastidious in keeping tidy."

"And I'm sure you're _so_ much better," she teased, rolling her eyes. "You shall get used to it, in time. And I doubt your parents would mind lending you a house elf, should you be incapable of keeping on top of things yourself." Fandral frowned; the last thing he wanted was to ask for a house elf, after the arguments he'd made for his ability to live independently.

"So how are things?" he asked, the humour gone from his tone. "Be honest with me, Sif. How is Hogwarts without us all around?" She sighed, biting her lip, and leant into his side a little more.

"Unnervingly quiet," she said eventually. "Clint and Natasha are, of course, keeping the good Headmaster fairly occupied, but everything is so quiet without you all. It feels like the castle has half as many people in it than it did last year." Fandral frowned; he had heard much of the same from her already, and from Loki and Steve as well when he'd spoken with them, but he'd been hoping that would change as they got into the flow of classes.

"Well, one month down, only nine to go," he encouraged, squeezing her hand.

"Quite." She hummed, frowning slightly. "Though I must admit, I do regret an entire childhood of wishing you boys would all just leave me alone. I find I do not know what to do with myself without you around." He smiled fondly at that, remembering eleven year-old Sif on her first day of Hogwarts declaring vehemently that she didn't need babysitters and they were to all leave her alone and stop being so overprotective. Admittedly, they had all been somewhat stifling in her earlier school years, before they had a wider friend group to trust with her safety and happiness, but they did it out of love. For all of them, from practically the day Sif had been born, they were all told that keeping her well and happy was paramount. She was their sister in everything but blood, and they were to treat her as such.

"Soon enough you will no doubt find that you cannot imagine how you coped with us around all the time," he remarked playfully. "You are an intelligent, independent, strong young woman who will do marvellous things without us around. Natasha may be Head Girl, but you are first in your class in almost all of your subjects, and Gryffindor will no doubt win the Quidditch Cup this year." Hufflepuff had won it last year, thanks to Clint's overwhelming determination to do so before Phil graduated, but Fandral was sure it was Gryffindor's turn now. "I have confidence that you will leave all us idiot men in the dust when you graduate."

Sif laughed, leaning up to peck his cheek playfully. "I have no desire to leave you in the dust," she promised. "Dragging you along with me, however, is a viable option." He snorted, stopping in his tracks to wrap her in a tight bear-hug, ignoring her squeak of alarm. Oh, how he hoped the next year flew by quickly. He had missed her.


	2. Phil

**6 Months Post-Graduation**

.-.

His hair sweat-dampened and his face flushed, Phil's shoulders slumped in relief when the whistle went off, calling for lunch break. Well into his Auror Training by now, they were really beginning to pick up the pace. Not for the first time, he was beginning to regret choosing the DMLE instead of something more bureaucratic. Then he imagined sitting behind a desk for the next thirty years, and instantly the endurance runs and tag-team duels didn't seem so bad.

Heading out of the gym and towards the lift to the cafeteria, Phil stooped to pick up his bag on the way, digging through it for his water bottle. The liquid was cool down his parched throat, and he had to stop himself from drinking the entire thing in one go, stowing it back in his bag. He would get used to the increase in training; they had only just started a new regimen, so of course it was gruelling. Though he'd probably be doing a lot better if he could get a full eight hours sleep every night. The perils of being a year older than his boyfriend. Pulling his phone from his bag, he fired off a quick text to Clint, asking if he wanted company for the night, and then another text to Tasha asking if he could come through her fireplace. Clint was unlikely to say no, but if he had a huge pile of work to do Phil didn't want to be a distraction.

Two confirmation texts quickly lit up his screen in response, Clint's far more vehement than Tasha's, and Phil grinned to himself as he stowed his phone away, stepping into the empty lift. Pressing the button for the cafeteria floor, he startled when a tall man in a long black robe slipped in beside him, reaching across to press his own button. The Department of Mysteries; of course. With the hood keeping his face in shadow, he could hardly be from anywhere else. Trying not to stare at the man, or show any discomfort whatsoever, Phil tensed when the hooded man reached over once more, pressing the emergency stop. Hand already preparing to release his wand from its holster, Phil didn't move, staring intently at the man to guess his intentions.

"Phil Coulson," the man declared, his voice quiet. He looked up, staring straight back at Phil, and the nineteen year-old noticed there was an obscuring charm over his face. It made him look somewhat pixellated and fuzzy, and trying to stare directly into his eyes made Phil's brain hurt.

"That's me," Phil confirmed, hoping his racing heart wasn't as loud as it seemed to be to his ears. "And you are?" The man chuckled, the sound short and almost like a cough.

"My name is classified. But you can call me Stretch." Raising an eyebrow, Phil folded his arms over his chest.

"And your motives for the astonishingly creepy way of getting me alone…?" Stretch laughed again, and Phil imagined he was grinning behind the obscuring charm. Of course, he could just be saying that to make himself feel better.

"We've been watching you," he informed the teen, one hand bracing himself on the railing as he leaned back against the elevator wall. "Down in the Department. You and your little buddies, as a matter of fact. Fury told us to keep an eye on you, said you'd run circles around the whole Ministry if you put your minds to it. Considering you're friends with Stark, I don't doubt that's completely possible." Phil tried not to let his surprise show on his face.

"You know Fury?" he inquired, keeping his voice level.

"Of course we do, kid. He used to work for us, back in the day. And he knows what qualities we're looking for in a person, and where to point us in the right direction," Stretch added, the smirk audible in his tone. A heavy feeling of inevitability settled in Phil's stomach, but he didn't jump to conclusions just yet. "We want to offer you a position with the Unspeakables. Dependent on your results once you've been through Auror Training, of course, but the way you're going that isn't likely to be a problem. We need more men like you, Phil Coulson, and anyone who has watched your little group for more than ten minutes can tell that you are the turning point of your generation. The brains and connections between you all, it's obvious that change is coming, and it's on your shoulders. And we can't afford to let that happen without our input."

"Do you want me, or my social life?" Phil retorted, drawing another laugh from the man.

"Funny. No, Coulson, we want you. We have done since Fury flagged you, middle of your fifth year. You're not the only one we want, but we have this little thing about confidentiality and whatnot."

"Go figure," Phil replied with a snort, and Stretch snickered.

"Yeah, never would've guessed, right? So, what do you say? You have another four months of basic training before you're split for specialties. We'll snatch you up then, and as far as everyone else will be concerned, you did your basic and took an admin job for the DMLE, on auror reserve. This is an offer you only get once, so think carefully." Frowning, Phil ran a hand through his hair. It was an incredible offer — he'd thought most people had to prove themselves for years before going to the DoM, though of course no one was ever really sure of their selection process — but he had his family to think about.

"I want to talk it over with my partner," he said eventually, looking back up at Stretch.

"Barton, right? Still at Hogwarts?" Phil nodded, unsurprised they knew that information. Like Stretch had said, he'd been watching them all. "You trust him?"

"With my life," Phil answered without hesitation. "And he can keep a secret." Clint's best friend was a Russian spy in her school holidays, of course he could keep a secret.

"Well, lucky for you, every Unspeakable is allowed one person in on the secret. But it's one, and one person only, so if you tell Barton you'll have to lie to your parents. None of your other friends can know." Stifling a smirk, Phil tried not to look outwardly smug. He didn't need to tell his friends for them to know; they were smart. They'd figure it out.

"I want to talk to Clint," he insisted. "He's my one person."

"Noted," Stretch replied. "I want an answer within the month. Don't try to find me; I'll know when you need to talk."

"Deal," Phil agreed, then raised an eyebrow. "Now can I get lunch and sit down for five minutes before I have to go do three hundred pushups?" Stretch snickered, gesturing to the row of buttons, including the button that would reverse the emergency stop.

"We're done here." Phil reached over to press the button and make the lift go, and with a slight gust of wind he was suddenly alone in the small metal box. Cursing to himself, he shook his head, a reluctant smile on his face. Flashy asshole.

Hitching his bag higher up his shoulder, he pulled out his phone once more, texting Clint a confirmation on the time he'd be over. He had even more of a reason to visit, now.


	3. Maria

**8 Months Post-Graduation**

.-.

Glaring at a group of fifth-year Slytherins who seemed to think they were her friends somehow, Maria smirked as they immediately made their excuses to leave, ducking away from their ex-housemate. Morons. They should know better than to think she was just hanging around in Hogsmeade with nothing to do.

Checking her watch, she rolled her eyes to herself, unsurprised Natasha was late. She had been busy with preparing for the final quidditch match of the year, and it was just about all she had been able to concentrate on recently. Maria would be glad when the quidditch season ended and Tasha could concentrate on important things, like exams. Breaking from her thoughts as she glimpsed fiery red hair, she couldn't contain her grin, Tasha smiling back as she came closer. "Fancy meeting you here," the younger girl greeted, wrapping an arm around Maria's waist and pulling her into a long kiss. Maria melted easily into the embrace, both hands cupping Natasha's face to bring her ever closer.

"Missed you," she murmured against her girlfriend's lips, feeling them curve into a smile.

"Missed you, too. Happy Valentine's Day." It wasn't actually Valentine's Day, that having been two days ago, but it was the closest weekend to it. They'd had a little time together on the day thanks to Tony's modifications to the fireplace, but it was nice to go on an actual date sometimes.

"Back at you. Come on, let's go in and grab a table, it's freezing," Maria urged, letting one hand fall down to twine in Tasha's gloved one, leading her into the Three Broomsticks. It was busy inside, but not so much that they couldn't find a booth tucked back in the corner. Across the room, Maria saw Tony and Bruce sat visiting Steve, the pair staring adoringly at their third like they could hardly believe he was there in person. They hadn't seen each other in a while due to their respective workloads, she knew; that had to be rough on them. She and Tasha didn't intrude, merely waving when Steve caught sight of them.

"Are the others around somewhere, then?" Tasha presumed, sliding into the booth to sit with her shoulder pressed to Maria's. The older girl draped an arm around her, humming in confirmation.

"Yeah, all the usual suspects. Phil's been planning a thing for Clint for a while now, some secluded dinner in a heated bubble or something," she supplied. Tasha's eyebrows rose in inquiry.

"He's not going for it today, is he?" she asked, surprised. A smile on her lips, Maria shook her head.

"Nah, he's saving it for graduation, like he always said." Phil always said he didn't want to propose to Clint while he was still in school. He would have done it years ago if he didn't mind so much. "But enough about them, today is our day. What've you been up to?"

"What, in the two days since we last saw each other?" Tasha returned, amused. Rolling her eyes, Maria nudged her girlfriend's side. "Not much I haven't told you about already, like I said. Quidditch stuff, exam stuff, hanging with everyone. I swear to Merlin, we're all about _this_ close to just giving up on the whole dorm rooms thing and setting up permanently in the Room of Requirement. With so few of us in now, we're realising just how many people we've been going to school with for years and never spoken to."

Their conversation paused as a waitress came up to take their orders, before Maria turned back to Tasha, smiling. "That's to be expected, though. You're not expected to make friends with everyone you go to school with. Hell, I don't think I've talked to anyone but our crowd since I graduated." A couple of people from her class were also at the Auror Academy, but she still hadn't talked much to them. And, well, after the offer she'd been given for her career after basic, she wasn't going to be talking to many other people. Not ones she knew the names of, anyway.

"Yeah, but when the only contact I have with my housemates is homesick first years and third year girls panicking about periods and shit, you know something is wrong," Tasha retorted, making her grimace.

"Yeah, I don't miss that." Natasha snorted at her words, leaning in for a slow kiss.

"I can deal with it for the private room," she murmured, eyes dark and fond. "But the sooner this year is over, the better."

"Only a few more months until freedom," Maria agreed, kissing her again. "And you're home for Easter, right? Or at Tony's, at least." Tasha had spent Christmas with Maria's family, explaining that her parents were away on business. It had been the best four weeks of Maria's young life.

"Uh, yeah, I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Natasha started, sounding somewhat apprehensive. Maria frowned, wondering what was up.

"Sure, what about it?" she asked, smiling briefly at the waitress as her lunch was placed in front of her. Tasha waited until the woman was gone before speaking once more, her voice soft and hesitant.

"My father called me the other day; him and Mom are on medical leave through all of Easter break. Everything's fine," she added hastily at Maria's alarmed look. "Just a mission gone wrong, nothing serious, they just need a little time to heal up. But, uh, he asked if I could come home to Russia for Easter." Maria tried not to let her disappointment show on her face; since they had started dating, Tasha had only ever spent a week or two at a time in Russia with her family, even in summer. The rest of the time she spent with whoever would take her, or had stayed at school.

"Oh." Plastering a smile on her face, Maria squeezed Tasha's thigh under the table. "That's good, right? It'll be nice for you to have a little quality time with your parents." She couldn't exactly begrudge her for that; Natasha hardly ever saw her parents.

"Yeah, it'll be great," Tasha replied quietly. "But, uh, I was wondering if you maybe… wanted to come with me?" Seeing Maria freeze in surprise, Tasha carried on. "I know you can't do the whole break because of work and stuff, but maybe a week or two? I mean, we've been together for a while now, and they kinda want to meet you. Preferably before graduation when they're just likely to see me making out with you every chance I get."

"You mean you won't be doing that over Easter?" Maria retorted flirtatiously, obviously deflecting. Tasha smirked, leaning in for a kiss and nipping at Maria's lip.

"Oh, I will," she promised. "But only if you're there for me to do so. What do you say?" Swallowing, Maria hesitated, thinking it over. She was scared, sure; they were her girlfriend's parents, and they were freaking _assassins_ , but… it was bound to happen eventually. And if she could get their approval, that would be amazing.

"I'd love to," she confirmed, grinning as Natasha beamed at her. "Just let me know which weeks."

"I love you," Tasha declared softly, kissing her. Maria smirked, winking.

"I know you do. Now come on, let's eat this before it gets cold, then you can sneak me into the castle for a little fun." Tasha laughed, pulling away to pick up her knife and fork, and Maria couldn't stop grinning as they ate, the conversation turning to more mundane topics. She was going to meet Natasha's parents, after almost two years of dating. Screw Phil's proposal, _that_ was a giant step in a relationship. Hopefully it would be successful.


	4. Clint

**1 Year Post-Graduation**

.-.

Clint took a deep breath as he looked at himself in the mirror one last time, a grin on his face that he couldn't shake. It was hard to believe that a year ago, Phil had been in that position, wearing Hufflepuff graduation robes and staring his future in the face. As much as Clint had loved his years at Hogwarts, he was ready to move on with the rest of his friends. Squaring his shoulders, he turned from the room and walked through to the main common room, seeing Rhodey stood chatting to the rest of their dormmates, and Darcy waiting for him by the coffee table. She grinned upon seeing him, opening her arms for a hug. "Don't you scrub up nicely," she teased, squeezing him tight. "All grown up and leaving me on my lonesome." He felt a stab of guilt, but pushed it away, grinning back at her.

"You've got Loki, you're not on your own. I should worry more about the safety of the school; without the rest of us around to keep you in check, you two will have this whole place under your thumb within the first week," he teased, making her laugh. "Come on, let's go get the others and get you a seat. Rhodey!" he called, causing the other boy to look up. "You coming, or what?" Rhodey smiled, clapping one of his friends on the shoulder before heading over to join them, and together the three of them left the common room for the last time, heading for the Entrance Hall. Clint took one last look back as he did so, smiling to himself. He had a lot of good memories of Hufflepuff, but leaving wouldn't mean he'd forget them. How could he possibly forget the first time he'd kissed Phil?

Gathering the rest of their friends, and having to wait the requisite three minutes for Darcy and Bucky to stop making out before they could forcibly separate them, Clint said goodbye to Darcy and Loki as they went outside to find seats with the rest of their group. Stood between Tasha and Steve, Clint was practically vibrating with excitement by the time Selvig came to collect them, sorting them into house groups and lining them up by alphabetical order to lead them out onto the grounds, where everything was set up. "Here goes nothing," he murmured to Tasha before they were parted, earning a grin from the redhead. She was looking forward to freedom just as much as he was; the only person who wasn't was Bucky, who hated to be leaving Darcy behind.

He honestly couldn't tell you what Fury said in his speech, or the details of what Steve and Tasha were saying in their Head of School speeches. Tony was filming it all, he'd watch it later. All he could concentrate on was the sight of the group of people sitting in the crowd that were there for him and his friends. A few of his friends from the circus had turned up to watch him graduate, as well as, of course, his friends from school. And, most importantly, Phil. His boyfriend was sat between Pepper and Maria, his eyes fixed firmly on Clint and the proudest look on his face that the archer had ever seen. They had spent the night together thanks to the fireplace in Tasha's room, wanting to have sex with Clint as a student one last time, but Phil had left early to give him time to prepare. Obviously he'd gone to change and shower, too; the older Hufflepuff looked dashing in a smart suit, and Clint couldn't wait to peel him out of it after the ceremony.

When Fury called his name, Clint stood with his back straight and his chest puffed out in pride, walking over to shake the headmaster's hand and accept his diploma. Fury smirked at him, magical eye spinning in its socket. "Good riddance, Barton," he muttered, making Clint laugh.

"You're almost free of us all, sir. Then you've just got Parker to deal with." Fury glared at him with both eyes, and Clint moved to the centre of the stage to take a bow before returning to his seat. When everyone had gotten their diplomas, they stood as a group, tossing their pointed hats into the air as Fury declared them officially graduated. Not bothering to look for his hat in the crowd, knowing it would turn up later, Clint dodged around a group of hugging Ravenclaw girls to grab Tasha around the waist, lifting her from the ground. "We did it!" he crowed, pressing a smacking kiss to her cheek. "It was a little touch and go in some places, but we made it the whole way through." She laughed, rolling her eyes and hugging him back once he set her down.

"Oh, shut up, there was never any doubt we'd make it," she retorted, slipping her hand into his. "Now come on, let's go find the others." Nodding, knowing there was no point in trying to find the rest of their graduating friends in the crush, they jumped off the stage to make their way over to the group gathered for them. Steve and Bucky had already made it there, allowing their mothers to fuss over them before turning to their significant others, and Clint glanced over at Olivia from the circus with an enquiring eyebrow. She grinned at him, gesturing towards Phil, and he grinned back; he'd get hugs from them all later.

Phil was beaming when Clint found him, and the older man immediately grabbed him by his house tie, yanking him into a firm kiss. "Congratulations," he said when they eventually parted, still grinning. "I am so damn proud of you." Clint hummed, kissing him again, his brain still processing his impending freedom. He and Phil could go to bed together every single night for the rest of their lives, from now on. No scheduling days around work and school and whether Tasha's room was free or she had Maria over. They were going to be moving into an apartment together in a couple of months. The future was finally happening.

When they pulled away from each other, Clint opened his mouth to say something, only to gape as Phil went down on one knee right on the grass in front of him, the entire crowd of people still around to watch them. "Oh my God," Clint breathed, and Phil gave him a lopsided grin, reaching into his pocket.

"I've been planning this moment for longer than I should probably admit to," he began, slightly sheepish. "And every single time I thought about it, I could never figure out what to say. What the hell can I tell you that I haven't already said before? So I figured I'd just wing it and see how things go." Clint snorted, speechless as Phil's hand came out of his pocket, holding a small black box. Holy shit. This was really happening. "We met at Hogwarts. We first kissed at Hogwarts, we fell in love at Hogwarts. Almost all of our relationship milestones were at Hogwarts, so I figured this one should be, too. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Clint. I've known that since I was fourteen years old. So, I suppose, the only thing left for me to say, is…" He paused, flicking open the box and offering it to Clint, showing the ring inside. "Clint Barton, will you marry me?"

"Yes," Clint answered before his lover had even finished, pouncing on him so hard they both fell to the ground, Clint straddling Phil's waist and neither of them caring about grass stains. "Yes, of course, you gorgeous bastard, that's not even a question, _yes_!" Pressing his lips to Phil's in order to stop himself babbling, Clint thought he might physically explode with happiness. They were going to get _married_. Sure, he'd known it would happen eventually, but faced with an actual proposal he became a blubbering mess of emotion.

Pulling away in order to let Phil sit up, Clint grinned at his now fiancé, who beamed back, looking just as deliriously happy as Clint felt. He carefully pulled the ring from its cushion in the box, taking Clint's hand in his own to slide it onto his finger. The archer was vaguely aware of people all around them clapping and cheering, but the only thing he could see in the world was Phil, and the way the ring looked on his finger. A wide band of several interwoven silver strands, a single star-shaped amethyst set in the middle, with two tiny diamonds on either side. It was perfect. "I love you," he declared, making Phil chuckle.

"I should hope so," he agreed, leaning in for a kiss. He looked down at the ring admiringly, then glanced up at Clint. "I've had that ring since the summer after my fifth year, y'know? I saw it in a jewellers' when I was looking for a birthday present for Mom, and, well, I just knew." Clint's eyes went wide in amazement.

"So all those jokes, about having the ring picked out, you weren't kidding?" Phil shook his head, a smile on his face.

"All completely true. I just didn't want to freak you out," he admitted. Clint looked down at the ring once more, imagining it sitting hidden in Phil's trunk somewhere for all this time.

"Why the hell would I have freaked out? I've wanted to marry you since I was like, thirteen," he pointed out dryly. Getting to his feet, he pulled Phil up with him, tugging him into one last kiss before they could be crowded by their friends and family, all wanting to congratulate them. "Looks like we've got more than one thing to celebrate at the party tonight," he murmured under his breath, then smirked. "And _after_ the party." Phil's eyes darkened, but before he could respond he was jumped on by a grinning Darcy, and Clint chuckled as he let Tasha grab his hand and look at the ring, congratulating him all the while. Yeah, the future was going to be _pretty_ sweet.


	5. Bruce

**1 Year, 1 Month Post-Graduation**

.-.

Artificial sunlight gently roused Bruce from slumber, and he kept his eyes closed as he breathed deeply, chasing the last whispers of sleep in the hopes of returning to unconsciousness. But it wasn't to be, and he let himself bask in the scents of home and green and Steve and Tony all intermingled. He'd spent every moon for the past year, and several moons before that, in that room; the special room Tony had enchanted in the top floor of their house, the one that mimicked a forest right down to the scent and feel. But this was the first moon since Steve's graduation — the first moon since _freedom_. For once the wolf hadn't been morose at the absence of one of his mates, or aware that Steve was only there for that moon and would be gone the next. They had spent the entire night playing like a group of puppies, chasing and wrestling and exchanging happy snuffles. Bruce could still feel his wolf's lingering satisfaction at finally, permanently, having his mates back. Steve and Tony would be there for every moon from then on, and Bruce was actually sort-of looking forward to it.

Finally cracking an eye open, Bruce smiled to himself as he looked at Tony and Steve, curled up on either side of him, still in animal forms. They were on the low futon Tony had put in the room specifically for post-moon snuggles, and Bruce propped himself up on his elbow, reaching across to gently shake Steve's shoulder. The German Shepherd blinked open large brown eyes, jaw going wide in a yawn before he twitched an ear at Bruce and reverted back to Steve's human form, almost as naked as Bruce was. "Good morning, beautiful," the blonde greeted fondly, one large hand reaching over to cup Bruce's jaw and pull him into a tender kiss that never failed to steal Bruce's breath. "Sleep well?"

"Like a log," the werewolf confirmed, smiling. "You?"

"Never better. Think we should wake Tony?" Bruce smirked, shuffling closer to Steve until he was practically on top of the muscular man.

"In a minute. I've missed you," he murmured, one hand resting on Steve's shoulder. "So has my wolf."

"I've missed you both too," Steve replied, ducking his head to press his forehead to Bruce's. They both knew he wasn't referring to Bruce and Tony, and it made Bruce grin. "But we've got all the time in the world to make up for it." Bruce hummed happily as he drew Steve into another kiss; he liked the sound of it. Parting, they both looked over at the coyote curled at the other side of the bed, completely dead to the world. Bruce smirked deviously, sliding a hand down Steve's chest and into his boxers, hearing him gasp at the contact.

"You think if we smell horny enough it'll wake him up?" he asked, stroking Steve leisurely. Steve grinned, threading one hand through Bruce's haphazard curls.

"Why don't we try and find out?" he retorted, shifting to allow Bruce to rut against his thigh, pulling him in with a hand splayed on his back. Kissing him hotly, Bruce felt his arousal increase at the smell coming from himself and Steve, his senses heightened due to the moon the night before. He would never, ever tire of the way Steve smelled when he was turned on, or Tony. It was like a drug to him.

Feeling his climax drawing closer, Bruce glanced back at Tony, chuckling to himself when he saw the coyote had turned a little to face them, and was watching with his head on his front paws, a definite smirk on his face. "We have an audience," he whispered into Steve's ear, drawing the blonde's attention to the coyote, and Steve huffed out a laugh as he bucked into Bruce's touch.

"You're such a pervert, Tony," he teased, earning a wink from the animal. Both of them aware they were now definitely putting on a show, they made sure to turn and arch to give Tony the best angle. It wasn't unusual for him to watch, either before or after the three of them were together. Bruce and Steve usually needed an extra round to get to the same state of boneless pleasure as Tony, due to their increased stamina. Tony was a voyeur anyway, so it worked well for everyone involved.

Bruce gasped into Steve's mouth as he came against the Gryffindor's abs, feeling Steve's own release into his hand. Slumping breathlessly against his younger lover, uncaring of the rapidly cooling sticky patch between them, he looked over at Tony, who had actually rolled onto his side to make lying down with an erection more comfortable. It didn't faze Bruce in the slightest; they'd gotten used to dog-boners pretty early on in their relationship after they had started spending moons together. Hell, Tony was still trying to convince them both to try sex in animal form.

"Come on, Tony," Steve urged, amused. "You can't join in like that." The coyote let out a low whine, but a split second later Tony was lying there in human form, his arousal just as noticeable.

"I dunno, I was enjoying watching," he teased in reply. "I mean, what a sight to wake up to. Damn, you two are gorgeous together. I am the luckiest little shit, I swear to God."

"Get over here and let us take care of you, sweetheart," Steve urged, lust-darkened eyes fixed on Tony's naked body. The genius smirked, not wasting time in crossing the bed to join them, Steve tugging him into a kiss as Bruce let his hands roam Tony's body, tracing the firm lines of his muscles. This was secretly Bruce's favourite part of having Tony sit out the first round; when he and Steve had taken the edge off enough to concentrate on turning Tony into a quivering puddle of pleasure between them. There was something incredibly intimate about being allowed to take Tony so completely apart like that, to break down his barriers in a way that only the pair of them were ever allowed to.

"Wait a second," Tony breathed, pulling away from Steve's mouth on his neck. "JARVIS, when's our first work commitment?"

"All three of you are free until your meeting at five, Sir," JARVIS replied, his voice coming in from nowhere. Tony smirked, and Bruce matched the expression, before his turned far more predatory, his wandering hands zeroing in on their goal.

"Looks like we can stay in bed all afternoon then, hmm?" he mused, already hard and ready to go again. So was Steve beside him, by the feel of things. Grinning to himself, Bruce leaned over Steve to kiss Tony hard, moaning breathlessly into it. Damn, he was going to enjoy having Steve around all the time.


	6. Sif

**1 Year, 5 Months Post-Graduation**

.-.

Head pounding with the beginnings of a mild hangover, Sif stifled a groan as she woke, too hot in her bed. A squinted glance at her clock showed it was just gone nine, and the arm draped over her waist explained the heat. Rolling over, she smiled to herself, eyeing her bedfellow. He really was quite attractive. Light brown hair mussed in sleep, a strong jawline dusted in stubble, and she definitely remembered piercing green eyes and an excellent body. Still, he hadn't been much of a conversationalist.

Carefully sliding out from underneath his arm, she crept from the bed and reached for a t-shirt and her pyjama trousers, leaving him to sleep while she shuffled into the hallway. Fandral and Volstagg were awake already and eating breakfast at the kitchen table, and they smiled cheerfully at her. "Good morning, my dear," Volstagg greeted. "Sleep well? You look tired."

"I slept fine, thank you. Where has Hogun gotten to?" she queried, pulling two mugs down from the cupboard and starting up the coffee machine, then putting four slices of bread in the toaster. Neither of her companions asked why she was making breakfast for two, and she didn't offer up the explanation.

"He was training late yesterday, he has the morning off," Fandral explained. "Lazy bugger is still in bed. Did you want an omelette? I can make one for you if you wish." Her stomach protested at the prospect of eating something as large as an omelette, and she shook her head.

"No, thank you. I'll eat properly later," she promised. He frowned at her, but didn't argue, and she turned back to the coffee machine as it finished brewing, pouring out two mugs and digging through the fridge for the milk. "Are you two off to work soon?" Hopefully they would leave fairly quickly, and she could see her guest out without trouble.

"In a while, but there's no rush," Volstagg replied, draining his mug of tea. "You have the day off today, yes?" She hummed in confirmation; she'd had a three-day training exercise over the weekend, and had a day's reprieve after it. Sipping at her coffee, she picked up both mugs and turned to head back to her room, only to stop in her tracks as the door opened. Her friend from the night before wandered out, dressed only in boxers and yawning, and he froze when he spotted the two boys with Sif in the kitchen.

"Oh," he greeted dumbly. "Oops. Are these, uh, your flatmates?"

"Fandral and Volstagg," Sif introduced, pointing to them each in turn. "Boys, this is… James?" she attempted, and he grinned sheepishly.

"Jack," he corrected. Running a hand through his hair, he glanced back at Fandral and Volstagg, who were looking at him with uncomfortable expressions on their faces. All three men were silent, just staring awkwardly, and Sif rolled her eyes.

"Go back to bed, Jack. I'll bring coffee and toast in," she told him, earning a grateful look. Jack made a quick retreat, and Sif took the butter from the fridge as the toast popped up, grabbing two plates.

"You didn't tell us you were bringing a… _friend_ home, Sif," Volstagg started, making her huff in annoyance.

"It wasn't exactly planned," she pointed out dryly. "And the three of you bring _friends_ home unannounced all the time. I didn't think it would be a problem."

"So you did not know him before last night, then?" the redhead presumed, brow furrowed.

"No, I didn't, and I don't plan to continue getting to know him." Both men grimaced at her words, and she snorted. "I'm not a child anymore, and you could hardly expect me to stay one forever. I am a woman, and I may do as I wish. Merlin knows you did throughout school."

"We know you are," Fandral cut in swiftly, clearly sensing her impending anger. "We just want you to be safe, and to respect yourself and make others respect you. Should you need me, or any one of us — with any of your… gentleman friends, not just this one — just call and we shall come running." Sif smiled at him, glad he was at least letting the subject lie for now. No doubt it would come up at a later date, but she had company. It wasn't the time.

Rounding the table, she ducked down between them to kiss them each on the cheek in turn. "If it makes you feel better," she started. "I wish I could have broken it to you in a more gentle way." She did feel somewhat guilty; obviously learning she was sexually active was a little too much for their overprotective brains this early in the morning.

"We do not begrudge you this, Sif," Volstagg insisted. "It was just… a shock. You are our sister, and in my mind at least, you are still twelve years old." Sif laughed, rolling her eyes fondly at him as she moved to take the two mugs of coffee, levitating the toast plates in her wake.

"I am twenty, Volstagg. Twelve years old was a long time ago," she teased, making him grin.

"Yes, but could you not leave me to my delusions a while longer?" he asked jokingly. Sticking her tongue out at him, she made for the door, pausing in the doorway and turning back.

"Boys?" she began, an innocent expression on her face. "Considering your reactions, I feel it would be best if dear Hogun heard of this from you both, don't you think? Excellent. Have a good day at work, both of you, and I shall see you when you return home." Darting from the kitchen before they could argue, she slipped into her bedroom, a grin on her face as she greeted Jack once more. Yes; telling Hogun just how grown up she was could definitely be left to the boys. Although, should Jack's timing continue to be terrible, she may not get that option.


	7. Steve

**1 Year, 10 Months Post-Graduation**

.-.

Sketchbook perched on his lap and pencil in hand, Steve smiled to himself as he glanced up at the scene in front of him, looking back down to sketch in a few more lines. It wasn't often he got all of their friends and family gathered in one place, and practically a miracle to get them in such beautiful lighting, with the sun just beginning to set. He had to take the opportunity while it arose.

Leaning back against the tree and paying careful attention to the flare of Darcy's dress as she made Bucky spin her on the dance floor, Steve didn't notice as a suit-clad figure wandered over towards him from the buffet table, grinning. "So this is where you've been hiding." Startling, the blonde looked up, smiling sheepishly at his lover.

"Hey, Tony. Sorry, were you looking for me?" Tony raised an eyebrow at him, hands in his pockets.

"Babe, of course I've been looking for you. What are you doing all the way over here?" He looked gorgeous, dressed in a sharp charcoal thee-piece suit with a dark red tie and pocket square that matched the ones Steve and Bruce were wearing. His hair was less neat than it had been that morning, and his shirt was untucked, his jacket abandoned a while ago and shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Steve loved him looking more casual; not that he hadn't been breathtaking with everything in place and pristine.

"I just wanted to preserve the memories. Have a record of the day, y'know?" Steve murmured, tilting his sketchbook so Tony could peer around and look at it. It was only a base sketch, with a few elements picked out in finer detail, but it wasn't finished yet. Tony's hand rested in Steve's hair, carding through it gently.

"That's what photos are for, handsome," he pointed out, reaching out a hand to pull Steve to his feet, tugging him into a kiss. Steve didn't protest, hand settling on Tony's hip, and they were both smiling when they parted. Tony eased Steve's sketchbook from his hand, shutting it and shrinking it down to fit in his pocket, winking at his younger lover. "It's our wedding day, babe. We're only gonna get one of them. You should enjoy it from the centre, not from the sidelines." Steve couldn't help but grin, kissing him again. Their _wedding_. They were _married_.

"Yeah, you're right," he agreed, an apologetic twist to his lips.

"I'm always right. Now come on; this party is gonna go on past midnight, and I'll be damned if I miss one glorious second of it," Tony replied, twining their fingers more securely and dragging Steve back towards the crowd of people. Steve went easily, looking down at their joined hands and feeling a bubble of joy rise in his chest at the sight of their matching gold rings. It still felt like a bit of a dream; they'd spent so long planning the damn thing, it was hard to believe it was actually here and done and official. The ceremony had been perfect, held outside in an arboretum that Steve had loved visiting as a kid. It was in New York — of course it was, it had to be New York — and all their friends and family were there, and Tony and Bruce had looked so beautiful and _happy_ standing at the altar with him. It had taken a fair amount of bribery and quite a few pulled strings before a marriage between the three of them was legally binding, but they had all refused anything less. He and Tony had wanted to smack Bruce over the head when he suggested they get married and leave him out of it legally, as bringing werewolf rights into it would only complicate things. Steve had been dead set on the matter, and Tony the same; all three of them, or none at all. He didn't want either of his lovers feeling like they were less valid in the relationship.

Winding through the crowd, nodding at the people who grinned at him, Steve followed Tony over to where Bruce was chatting with Clint and Phil, his tie undone around his neck and the top two buttons of his shirt undone. Releasing Steve's hand, Tony smirked at the blonde, creeping up behind Bruce and sliding hands over his eyes, kissing the back of his neck. "Guess who?" he drawled, and Bruce smiled, bringing up his hands to cover Tony's.

"Why, Bucky, I thought we were gonna wait until after the wedding to tell them," the werewolf replied innocently, and Steve snorted as Tony growled, pulling his hands away and turning Bruce in his arms to kiss him firmly.

"Bucky, my ass," the billionaire muttered. Steve laughed, draping an arm around Bruce's waist, leaning in for a brief kiss.

"Hey, sweetheart." Bruce smiled, leaning into his side, grabbing Tony's hand. His ring glinted in the low sunlight, and it made Steve's smile that little bit wider.

"Hey, you. You finished drawing?" Steve grinned abashedly, unsurprised that Bruce had noticed him under the tree. Bruce always noticed.

"Not quite, but Tony persuaded me to come join the party." Bruce went up on his toes to kiss Steve, placing a light hand on his cheek.

"I'm glad. I missed you both."

"My God, it's like we don't even exist," Clint mock-gasped to his husband, breaking the moment. Phil snorted, and Tony rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on, like you weren't exactly the same when you got married," he retorted, earning twin smirks from the pair.

"Yeah, that's why we eloped," Phil pointed out. "No one to complain about it."

"Well, that was the plan, anyway," Clint corrected dryly. "But we all know how that worked out." The pair had tried to elope about two months after Clint's graduation, but Tasha being Tasha had found out their plans and gathered all their friends to show up anyway, as well as Phil's parents, who still hadn't quite forgiven him for being willing to get married without them there. The wedding had been in a tiny little chapel in Aberdeen, and the reception was back at Tony's place after they'd been kicked out of a nearby Wetherspoons for being too rowdy. Despite the lack of planning, it had been a good time for everyone involved, and Tasha had later managed to wrangle a 'thank you' from both men for crashing their plans.

"Which is why we went the more sensible route and actually invited people," Bruce joked, trying to ignore the way Tony was playing with his hair, even though Steve knew it was probably turning him on just as much as it always did. Reaching up behind Bruce's back, he swatted Tony's hand away from the werewolf's curls, giving him a mild scolding look. Tony just winked, taking Steve's hand in his own, admiring the fit of the ring.

Looking back over at the dance floor as Bruce, Clint and Phil resumed whatever conversation they had been having before he and Tony showed up, Steve smiled at the sight of his mother dancing with Bucky, while Bucky's mom let Darcy lead her around in an overdramatic tango, both of them giggling like schoolgirls. Darcy really was part of the family, now; she'd spent last Christmas with the Rogers-Barnes family unit, along with Bruce and Tony, and her and Bucky's mom got on like a house on fire. Steve knew that Mrs Barnes was secretly glad that her son had found someone to love, rather than a constant string of meaningless relationships. And there was no one better than Darcy to keep him in check. She had yet to graduate, but Steve knew that when she did, wedding bells probably wouldn't be too far away.

His mother waved at him over Bucky's shoulder, and he grinned back, lifting one hand in reply. She had been a little apprehensive about him getting married at eighteen, but Steve knew she was happy for the three of them. As he'd pointed out to her when he'd told her about the engagement, he knew he would be with Bruce and Tony for the rest of his life. Now they could legally marry each other, why bother waiting until they were older?

"You wanna dance some more?" Tony asked softly, clearly seeing the direction Steve was looking in. The blonde smiled, shaking his head; he was happy where he was, for now.

"Nah, maybe later," he replied, bringing Tony's hand up to his lips, bringing a soft smile to his husband's face. Like he'd said, the party was going to go on past midnight. They had plenty of time for dancing, later. Hell, they had the rest of their lives for it, now.


	8. Bucky

**2 Years Post-Graduation**

.-.

The clock ticking, and Peggy waiting impatiently in the hallway, Bucky was all too aware that they were going to be late if he didn't hurry up. It was hardly his fault; he'd gotten a crappy shift at work, and the head auror of his unit hated him and wouldn't let him switch. He'd only gotten home fifteen minutes ago, jumping in the shower straight away. Now, dressed in a smart suit, he frantically attempted to fix his hair in front of his mirror, ignoring the way it sighed at him exasperatedly. Stupid mirror was far too critical; he should really get it replaced, or something. Maybe Darcy could pick one out that had fewer personality issues.

Thinking of his spitfire girlfriend arguing with his mirror — a common occurrence whenever she came to stay — he grinned to himself, giving up on his hair. Maybe the drying charm hadn't been the best idea, but there wasn't much he could do about it now. Besides, his hair wasn't that bad.

"Bucky, honestly, hurry up or we'll not get seats!" Peggy called, sticking her head into his room.

"I know, I know, just give me a minute," he replied, hurriedly doing up his tie. Peggy was looking as gorgeous as always, her hair in perfect curls and her dress a flattering blue. She rolled her eyes, a fond smile creeping across her face as she crossed the room, taking the ends of his tie from him and re-doing it far neatly than he had.

"Calm down," she murmured, smoothing out the shoulders of his jacket. "It's her graduation, that's all. You don't have to do anything but turn up on time and sit there."

"I know, I know," he retorted, biting his lip as she released him. Finally, the last two members of their group were leaving Hogwarts, and he knew he and Thor weren't the only ones excited to have Darcy and Loki free. Hogwarts had been fun, but the rest of them were out in the world and moving on with their lives, and they wanted the pair to join them. "Oh, one second." Turning back to his dresser, he pulled open the top drawer and rifled through it, looking for the envelope he knew he'd put in there a month ago, and taken out to stare at almost every day since. Finding it, crumpled and ripped but still holding its prize, he tipped the contents out into his hand, fingers closing around the single key before Peggy could get a good look at it, sliding it safely into the pocket of his jacket. He looked up, opening his mouth to declare himself ready, only to falter at the oddly serious, knowing expression on his friend's face. Obviously he'd not been quick enough.

"Is that for Darcy?" she asked, though she clearly already knew the answer. He ran a hand through his hair out of habit, messing up everything he'd just done to neaten it.

"Uh, yes?" he replied tentatively. "I mean, I haven't asked or anything; hell, I haven't even asked _you_ , and if you're not cool with it that's totally fine because you live here too and I don't wanna piss you off, but I really want Darce to move in with me, but I can't afford a place of my own yet, so… yeah. I was gonna ask her at the party," he finished lamely, watching Peggy's smile grow. She slid her arms around his neck, hugging him close, and he automatically wrapped his arms around her in response.

"I expected as much," she informed him. "And I have no problem whatsoever with Darcy moving in with us. Who knows? Maybe having another woman around here might encourage you to tidy up more than once every six months," she added playfully, making him snort.

"I wouldn't count on it," he teased in reply. "Are you really okay with it? Don't say you are if you're not just to make me happy. She's my girlfriend, but you're my best girl, and this is your house as much as it is mine."

"When have I ever done that?" Peggy retorted, eyebrows raised. "James, I love Darcy, she's wonderful, and she'll make an excellent addition to our little household. Though you _are_ allowed to call her your best girl now, I won't be offended," she added wryly. A sheepish smile crossed his lips; no, that title would always be reserved for Peggy. Darcy knew that, and didn't mind one bit. "Now hurry up, or you'll be too late to ask her much of anything." He grinned, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Love you, Pegs," he murmured, making her smile, ushering him from his room.

"I love you, too, you daft sod. Merlin, I bet you never thought you'd be where you are now, did you?" she added, smirking as she checked herself over in the mirror. "In a committed relationship for going on three years, and settling down with her — almost, anyway. Our little Bucky is all grown up." He mock-growled, rolling his eyes.

"You take that back," he challenged, holding an arm out to her for their joint apparition. In the blink of an eye they were in Hogsmeade station, and they quickly joined the crowd of people queueing for carriages up to the school.

"Never," she replied, smiling. "I'm proud of you, James, really." Leaning up, she pecked him on the cheek, then dragged him over to an empty carriage. "Come on, we don't want you late to your girl's graduation!" He grinned, a new spring in his step at Peggy's approval, the key practically burning a hole in his pocket on the ride up to the castle. All he had to do now was sit through the ceremony, and at least try and wait until the party before popping the question, so to speak. And, of course, hope she said yes.


	9. Pepper

**2 Years, 2 Months Post-Graduation**

.-.

Pepper's lips pursed as she stepped out of the Stark Industries building in Diagon Alley, joining the throng of people going about their day. It was the end of the summer holidays, and the alley was full of students rushing about, Hogwarts letters in hand as they tried to get everything on their lists, parents fussing and fretting in their wake. Some groups, older kids that Pepper recognised from her own time at Hogwarts, had actually been trusted to go without parents, and were using that trust to lurk around Quality Quidditch Supplies and Zonko's, and buy enormous sundaes at Fortescue's. Ah, summer. How Pepper missed when that actually mattered; now it was just another business month. Just another time where Stark Industries had to focus all their energy on marketing to the kids who were home from school, and the parents who were trying to keep them occupied. Summer was exhausting; then again, winter would be worse.

Glancing down at her phone as it flashed with a text from one of the board members' secretaries about needing to reschedule a meeting, she cursed under her breath, texting back a confirmation. Watching the signal bar to check it sent properly, not wanting the secretary to get at her _again_ about proper communications, she let out a cry as she suddenly hit something solid, stumbling backwards as she dropped her handbag. A hand gripped her shoulder, stopping her from falling, and she regained her balance with a shaky breath. "God, I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going, are you okay?" She bent to retrieve her bag, only to be stopped, the man she'd bumped into crouching to get it for her.

"It's fine, Ms Potts. Though I always told Tony those phones are a health hazard." Her eyes widened at the familiar voice, and as the man straightened up she met brown eyes and a teasing grin.

"Professor Hogan," she breathed in surprise, and he chuckled.

"Honestly, Ms Potts, I'm not your professor anymore. Call me Happy," he insisted. Her lips quirked in a brief smile, and she nodded.

"Happy," she agreed. "But only if you call me Pepper. I'm not your student anymore," she pointed out, making him laugh.

"No, you're right, of course." Suddenly, he looked down at his hands, then thrust her bag out to her. "Right, uh, that's yours," he added sheepishly, flushing a little. Feeling her own cheeks go pink, Pepper took the bag, sliding the strap up her shoulder once more.

"Thanks. I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to walk into you like that, I was just texting about a meeting and I only looked down for a second." He waved her off, a smile on his face.

"It's fine, no harm done," he insisted. "You're okay, right? I didn't hurt you when I grabbed you?" She shook her head, her blush increasing.

"No, no, not at all. Thank you; falling in the middle of the alley would have done _wonders_ for my reputation," she remarked sarcastically, and he laughed again.

"And quite the reputation it is, too. You and Tony both seem to be making names for yourselves. No doubt his is down to you and those boys of his keeping him out of trouble. I heard they got married a few months ago? I had an invite, but I was with family in Italy, I couldn't get out of it."

"Yeah, they did," Pepper replied, a grin on her face just at the memory. "It was a really great wedding. But they're _still_ in the honeymoon stages, it's terrible, I can't get Tony to do anything. You'd think after nearly four years together being married wouldn't make much of a difference, but _Merlin_ , they're awful." Happy snickered, giving her a grin.

"Yeah, well, I hear that's what marriage does for a person. And let's face it, Tony never needed an excuse to get out of work and hang with his boyfriends. The amount of times he and Bruce skipped class to drag Steve into some passage somewhere…" he trailed off, smirking, and Pepper laughed. Yeah, those were the days. "I'm not keeping you from anything, am I?" he asked suddenly, looking apologetic. "Busy woman like you, I wouldn't want to hold you up."

"Actually, I just got stood up; my business meeting cancelled on me," she explained, holding up her phone. "That's who I was texting. So I'm free as a bird for the next hour. Or, at least, however long it takes for someone to realise I'm free and ask me to fix whatever Tony blew up this morning. Don't ask." Happy grimaced faintly, shaking his head.

"I never do with him. But hey, at least you get out of a meeting." He paused, looking hesitant, then offered her one of those smiles that even now made Pepper's heart flutter just a little bit. Everyone in their school years had that one teacher they had that little bit of a crush on, and for eighty percent of the female Hogwarts population, that teacher was Professor Hogan. Pepper had been no exception. "I, uh, don't suppose you want to get a coffee, or something? To ease the pain of being stood up?" he added jokingly, grinning. Pepper blinked, sure she'd heard wrong. Was Happy Hogan asking her out? Like, on a _date_ out?

"Sure, sounds great," she replied after she got over her shock, not wanting to let the opportunity pass her by. She hadn't let herself consider it when she was in school, not wanting to turn into one of those girls who was embarrassingly in love with a teacher, but now… as he'd pointed out, he wasn't her professor anymore. And he didn't seem to have aged in the two years since she'd graduated; if anything, he was more attractive.

"Really?" he blurted, surprise on his face, clearly having expected her to say no. "Okay. Great. Shall we?" Quickly regaining his charm, he offered his arm to her, grinning roguishly. "You can catch me up on everything you guys have been up to since graduating. I've tried to keep track through the papers and things, and Ms Lewis was always a good source of information, but I don't doubt there's been even more going on that the general public don't know about." Pepper attempted an oblivious, innocent look, but it just made the professor snicker. "Don't try that on me, I know what you're like." He held open the door to the coffee shop for her, making her smile. "I have to admit, it's been quiet without you all around to cause trouble. And now Lewis and Laufeyson are gone, well, I might actually get some peace and quiet."

"I wouldn't count on it," Pepper replied, chuckling. "You've still got Parker, and Allerdyce and his friends." The kids would be in fifth and sixth year respectively, and from what Darcy had said, were causing far more trouble than they ever did. And in Allerdyce's case, definitely the wrong kind of trouble.

"Oh, God, don't remind me," Happy groaned, shaking his head as he and Pepper joined the queue at the counter. "I swear, the only reason Allerdyce hasn't been expelled is because Bobby Drake manages to talk him out of the serious stuff. If they ever get together for real, it might actually be enough to get St John back on track."

"That's still going on?" Pepper asked in shock; the pair had been dancing around each other practically since the day they'd arrived at the school. Happy nodded, the look on his face showing that he couldn't believe it either.

"I know, right? If I weren't a teacher I'd lock them in a closet, or something, just make them get it over with. At least your crowd actually sorted out their relationship drama. All this pining is just _painful_ to watch." Laughing, Pepper shook her head, turning to the barista to order her drink. They chose a table in the corner, away from the rest of the people in the shop, and Happy actually pulled Pepper's chair out for her. Who said chivalry was dead?

"All this complaining, and you haven't thought about taking Tony up on his offer, yet?" Pepper queried, knowing that Tony had an open offer for the man to rejoin their security department whenever he wanted. But Happy shook his head, shrugging off his jacket.

"Nah; as much as I complain, I love teaching. And the kids really aren't that bad. Don't think we'll get another group quite like yours, though; that really was something special to watch." Pepper tried not to think too hard about how the man had been teaching her when she was eleven years old; he'd been in his late twenties then, which would make him about thirty five or so. Fifteen years wasn't too big an age gap, right? Not when some witches and wizards lived to be a hundred and fifty.

Allowing him to turn the conversation to what she'd been doing since graduation, Pepper pulled out all her best flirting techniques, delighting in the way his eyes never left her face while she spoke, his interest visible. Hopefully, that would mean she could get a second date scheduled, or at least a phone number. She just knew she couldn't let Tony find out, not until at least date six or seven; if it even got that far. He had always teased her about her crush in school, threatening to tell Happy, since he was sort-of friends with his ex-bodyguard. He was _never_ going to let her live it down.


	10. Loki

**2 Years, 6 Months Post-Graduation**

.-.

Scarf wound tight around his neck, pulled right up to cover his chin and cheeks, Loki ducked his head against the cold and wondered why he had thought it would be a good idea to walk home. He hadn't been far; just popping into Diagon Alley to pick up some more potions ingredients, but the weather had turned rapidly while he was out, and now it was raining far more than he could handle without an umbrella. He picked up his pace, determined not to take the easy way out and apparate. Not after the amount of times he teased Thor about apparating home instead of walking ten minutes.

His boots splashing in the puddles on the pavement, he almost missed the faint whimpering sound coming from a nearby alley. Pausing in his tracks, uncaring of the rain, he listened out carefully, hearing more whimpering. "Hello?" he called hesitantly, edging towards the alley. It was dark, but the area was predominantly muggle and he didn't dare bring out his wand to light his way. "Is someone there? Are you well?" The whimpering got louder; loud enough for him to realise it definitely wasn't human. Eyes narrowing as he looked around, his gaze landed on a dark shape curled up behind a dustbin, shivering violently. Edging closer, wary of startling the creature, Loki saw that the creature was a dog. A mutt, by the looks of things, looking a little like a cross between a wolfhound and an alsatian. Its fur was soaked and matted, and fearful brown eyes gazed up at him from an emaciated head.

Looking closer, Loki winced as he made out the ridges of the dog's spine and the protrusion of its ribs; by the looks of things, it had been running stray for a while. Its back left leg was stuck out at an awkward angle, and on further inspection the Slytherin noticed dark red blood weeping from its paw at a steady rate. "Oh, Thor's going to murder me," he murmured to himself, slowly shrugging his coat off his shoulders, ignoring the cold biting through his jumper. There was no way he could possibly leave the dog where it was; even before the injured paw, his mind had been made up as soon as he'd seen the animal. It would be cruel of him to leave it, and, well… he had been talking to his lover about the possibility of getting a pet. This was just a little sooner than expected.

Inching forward, he steadily extended a hand, not flinching when the dog growled feebly. "Easy, there," he breathed, crouching so as to look less of a threat. "I'm not going to hurt you, little one. Gently does it, now, come on." The dog continued to growl, but was clearly too exhausted to struggle as Loki bundled his coat around the sodden creature, lifting it into his arms. It was unnervingly light for a dog of its size, and it made Loki nervous. Ignoring the dog's whimpers and yips of pain, he set off out of the alley at a quick jog, trying not to jostle his burden too much. He was just glad he wasn't too far from home; he didn't dare apparate with an animal, but he needed to get it inside fast.

Unlocking the door with a rap of his hand on the knocker, he hurried inside, sighing in relief at the warmth of the hallway. "Easy," he murmured to the dog, feeling it begin to struggle in his arms again. Carrying it through to the kitchen, where they had tiled floors and he could shut them inside, he pulled the door shut behind himself and knelt down, depositing the dog on the floor. As soon as it was free of his arms it bolted, limping on three legs into the corner of the room. Loki ignored his now-ruined coat, holding up his hands placatingly, staying on his knees. "Shh, easy now. You're safe, and warm, and I just want to clean you up," he said slowly, keeping his voice calm and even. The dog stared back at him distrustingly, dripping muddy brown water onto the grey tiles, its bleeding paw tucked underneath its body. It was a boy, Loki noted, frowning as he took in the sight of the animal in the light. He looked like a drowned rat, the poor thing.

Getting to his feet with aching slowness, Loki edged over to the linen cupboard opposite the washing machine, digging through for some of the ratty old towels they kept lying about. He had never been more glad of their mother teaching them of the importance of keeping a well-stocked linen cupboard for any emergency.

Filling a plastic bowl with warm water from the sink, Loki raided the fridge for some chicken leftover from the weekend, smiling to himself when the dog's ears perked up at the sight of it. "I bet you're hungry, hmm?" he mused, laying out a towel and setting the chicken down in one corner. The dog inched forward, tail between his legs and eyes fixed warily on Loki, who made sure not to move.

It took about fifteen minutes of careful coaxing and bribery through food, but eventually Loki managed to calm the dog enough to get close and actually touch him, allowing him to start cleaning out his injured paw. Luckily, the cut wasn't fairly deep; it looked like the poor creature had stepped on broken glass while roaming the streets. Hopefully all Loki would have to do would be to clean it out and maybe bandage it up; it didn't seem like it would need stitches. Then again, he was hardly a medical professional, animal or otherwise.

"I suppose you need a name, don't you?" he thought aloud, looking the dog over. He didn't have a collar, ruling out finding any potential owner easily. His dark grey fur was brown in places with mud, and he would need a good bath before Loki could truly see how malnourished he was. That could wait, however, until Thor was home to help him. He rather thought that bathing a skittish dog of his size was a two-person job. "How about… Fenrir?" He'd been thinking over names for their potential dog for longer than he would care to admit, and Fenrir had stuck in his mind for a while. The dog blinked at him, pink tongue peeking out to clean the last traces of chicken from his muzzle. Loki chuckled, running a gentle hand over the dog's head. "Yes, I think Fenrir suits rather well, don't you agree?"

Fenrir bolted back to the corner of the kitchen as there was a loud crack in the hallway, and Loki swore under his breath; Thor was home. "Loki?" the blonde called, voice booming. Loki tried not to be too irritated — it was hardly his fault — and held out some more chicken, trying to urge Fenrir back to the towel.

"In the kitchen," Loki replied, voice just loud enough for Thor to hear him. "But be careful, and shut the door quickly behind you when you enter!" Thankfully, Thor knew better than to question him for things like this, bless his heart. He edged into the kitchen, shutting the door as soon as he was in, and turned to Loki, only for his eyes to widen as he spotted Fenrir, a concerned frown coming to his lips.

"I did not know we had a guest," he said, his voice as quiet as he could ever be, which was to say, not very quiet at all. Loki smiled, still coaxing Fenrir forward.

"I found him on my way home," he explained. "The poor thing was in a terrible state, I couldn't leave him there." He turned an imploring look on his lover, who smiled fondly, tiptoeing closer to sink to the floor beside Loki, trying not to look too intimidating to the terrified dog.

"A fine creature, if in need of some food and love," he declared, before turning to his dark-haired partner with knowing eyes. "And what have you named him?"

"Fenrir," Loki replied, unashamed. Thor no doubt gathered his intentions the moment he'd spotted the dog; he wasn't stupid, and he knew Loki better than anyone. "Please, Thor. He has no one but us," the younger man urged, eyes round as he pleaded with his lover. Thor chuckled softly, leaning in to wrap an arm around Loki's shoulders and press a kiss to his temple.

"We shall have to take him to the vet, in the morning," he said by way of answer. "And at least make an attempt to find an owner before deciding he stays with us." Loki smiled widely, tugging Thor in by his scarf for a firm kiss.

"I love you," he murmured against the blonde's lips, feeling Thor grin and pull him closer.

"He shall be a wonderful addition to our family," Thor replied, one hand burying in Loki's hair. Loki happily tucked himself against Thor's broad chest, Fenrir eyeing them both like he didn't know what to make of them. The Slytherin liked the sound of Thor's words; they were a _family_. Him and Thor together, with the possibility of additions in the future. All Loki could hope now was that no one claimed Fenrir when they asked around; it would be incredibly difficult to let him go.


	11. Volstagg

**2 Years, 9 Months Post-Graduation**

.-.

Volstagg couldn't help but beam, surrounded by friends on both sides, a pint of ale in his hand and a cheerful air in the room. They were out on a boys' night — himself, Hogun, Fandral and Thor — at the pub near Thor and Loki's house, and both conversation and alcohol were flowing freely. The pub by their own house was pretty terrible, frequented by old muggle men wanting to do nothing but watch football and complain about football. Thor's pub was far more friendly, with smiling staff and comfortable seating and not a television in sight to distract the patrons.

"Fenrir has learned to fetch on command!" Thor told them, a look of immense pride on his face. "And Loki has taught him to roll over, it is most entertaining!" He grinned, drinking heartily from his pint glass. "He has been so much happier since Fenrir came into our lives; it fills my heart with joy to see him smiling so much. We are building a family within the much larger family of our friendship, and I should hope more of you will do the same!"

"Thor?" Volstagg interrupted, a pleasant smile on his face. The blonde turned to look at him inquiringly, and the bearded man smirked. "Do shut up, dear friend. We are so very glad that you're happy, and you know we all adore Loki, but we have heard it all before. Several times. We get the idea." Fandral toasted to his words, and Hogun snorted into his glass. Thor looked sheepish, though mostly unrepentant, his grin still wide across his face. The lovesick fool had sported the same expression pretty much since the day Loki had graduated and moved in with him for good; the addition of the dog just increasing that. Volstagg had to admit, it was a brilliant dog, now that Loki had fattened it up some. And for a stray, it was surprisingly well-behaved.

"My apologies, friends," Thor said with a shrug. "I did not mean to go on so. Tell me what has been happening with your love-lives!" he urged, beaming once more. "I spend so much time talking and thinking of my own, I neglect to ask about what you three have been up to." Volstagg felt his cheeks redden, sharing a glance with Hogun, who looked equally uncomfortable with the conversation topic.

"Oh, you know how it is," the redhead told his friend, despite the fact that Thor clearly _didn't_. His only two relationships had been serious and long-lasting, and he'd never really done the whole 'dating' thing. "A few ladies here and there, nights out every now and then. Nothing interesting." Which was all a complete lie, of course. The last date he'd been on had been over six months ago, and had been an absolute disaster. Volstagg was taking a break from the dating scene for a while, or so he had told Hogun when his friend had asked. From what he knew, his dark-haired friend was having just as little luck with the ladies. Clearly it was just not their time yet.

"Come now, there must be someone in your life!" Thor urged with a wink, but Volstagg shook his head, chuckling.

"I'm afraid not, my friend. Besides, I'm far too busy with work to even consider getting out and dating." That was actually mostly true; since joining the ranks of certified auror, no longer in training or on rookie probation, his free time had about halved.

"What about you, Fandral?" Hogun piped up, a smile on his face as he eyed the suspiciously silent blonde. "You're awfully quiet, there. Some secret romance you're trying to keep from us?" Expecting Fandral to laugh it off and regale them with the tale of his most recent conquest, Volstagg was surprise when the lithe man merely bit his lip, his cheeks slowly reddening.

"No, there's nothing," he insisted, though it was a weak lie at best. Thor laughed loudly, pointing a finger at his friend.

"There is!" he crowed in triumph, smirking. "Tell us, Fandral! Who is she? Or he? Where did you meet?"

"There's no one," Fandral repeated, still not sounding convincing. Volstagg snickered, grinning at his friends.

"Sounds like he's got a serious one, this time, lads," he mused teasingly, knowing that Fandral only went quiet when he actually thought a relationship might go somewhere.

"Ooh, this is a special occasion, then," Hogun drawled, getting in on the teasing. Continuing to rib the blonde about his liaisons as Thor ordered them another round of drinks, Volstagg was stunned when Fandral's fist suddenly clenched, and he opened his mouth to speak.

"I slept with Sif," he blurted, stunning them all into silence. The redhead went wide-eyed, jaw dropping. Sif? Their Sif? Fandral had _dared_ lay with her?

"When?" he asked, voice quiet and blank, and Fandral winced.

"Two weeks ago, when the two of you were on that training camp in Wales." Volstagg's eyes widened further; how had they both kept it secret for two weeks?

"Is it serious?" Hogun asked tentatively, looking very much like he'd swallowed a lemon. "Or an event that shall not be repeated?" Volstagg tried not to envision it in his mind; Fandral and Sif were like his brother and sister, and he did not need the mental image of them having relations.

"I… I think it's serious," Fandral admitted, a tentatively hopeful expression on his face that surprised all three of them. "I mean, we have yet to talk about what it could mean, but… I would very much like for it to be."

"We did not know you felt that way about her," Volstagg said after a prolonged silence, stunned. Fandral flushed, ducking his head.

"Neither did I, to be honest. The feelings crept up on me, and it was only when we were… _together_ that I truly realised the extent of them. We have been together a few times since, but I do not know what this means to her. I do not dare ask if it means as much as it does to me." Swallowing thickly at the prospect of his little Sif having an intimate relationship, with _Fandral_ nonetheless, Volstagg tried to push that aside and be as helpful as he would be were it a random person Fandral had fallen for.

"Ask her, and she shall tell you honestly. But I do not believe Sif would enter into this if she did not share your feelings. She is aware that a soured relationship between the pair of you could cause problems elsewhere. She would not be with you in that way if she were not certain it could become permanent." He reached over to clap Fandral on the shoulder, and the blonde brightened a little, looking hopeful.

"You believe so?" he asked, making Volstagg grin, rolling his eyes.

"You should know that already, you moron; you know Sif just as well as I do." Fandral shrugged abashedly, biting his lip once more.

"I did not want to assume," he muttered, and Thor chuckled.

"Trust your heart in this, my friend. You know Sif well enough to tell if it will lead you astray," he encouraged. Fandral sighed, sipping at his ale.

"Does this mean you do not mind?" he asked the group at large, trepidation in his tone. "Were Sif and I to… form a relationship?"

"You are both our friends, and we love you; how could we protest, if it makes you happy?" Volstagg retorted, not voicing how unnerved he was by the situation. It was a shock, of course, but Sif was old enough to know what she wanted in life. And, well, if that was Fandral, he would not argue.

"I agree," Hogun added. "But you should be aware that, our brother in arms or not, we will hex you into tiny little pieces should you ever hurt her." Fandral laughed, running a hand through his hair.

"I did not expect any less," he agreed wryly. "And should I hurt her, I myself will be first in line to hex me. But I promise you, I am serious about her. I would not risk this if I wasn't."

"Then I believe we have cause enough to celebrate!" Volstagg declared, raising a hand to flag the barmaid down for more drinks before anyone could protest. Alcohol was the easiest way for them to get over the shock; the last thing Fandral needed was one of them dwelling on the matter too long and making a thoughtless comment about how Sif had always been a sister to Fandral growing up. As they had clearly seen with Thor and Loki, childhood bonds hardly mattered. He just hoped it didn't blow up in their faces; he rather thought Sif and Fandral could be happy together, given the chance. She would certainly keep Fandral's enormous ego in check.


	12. Thor

**3 Years Post-Graduation**

.-.

Thor kept his head high and his back straight as he walked through the Ministry corridors, his destination clear in his mind. His heart was pounding, but he didn't show it, well versed in a poker face by now. People who didn't know him well thought him expressive and over-emotional; that assumption was usually their downfall without them even realising.

With a nod to the secretary at the desk by the door, he strode straight up to it and knocked, not waiting for an answer before pushing it open. It was incredibly rude, and he would no doubt be scolded for it, but he knew should he announce himself he would not get an audience. Odin's eyes narrowed as he spotted his son stood in front of him, setting his quill down mid-sentence. "Thor," he greeted neutrally, leaning back in his chair. "I was not expecting you."

"I did not come for idle conversation," the blonde replied simply, staying stood behind the chair opposite his father's desk. "But to ask you a question."

"This question could not have been asked through letter?" Odin asked wryly. That was how the father and son usually communicated, now. They only met in person at obligatory business and social events, and even then conversation was stiff. Everyone in the wizarding world was aware of the falling out between the two that had occurred on the day of Thor's graduation.

"I… do not believe so," Thor admitted, finding it difficult to gather his nerve and get the words out now he was actually in front of his father. He knew it would not be a well-received question, but he _needed_ to at least try.

"Well, out with it then, boy," Odin demanded, making Thor's lip curl with disdain at the term. He was twenty-one years of age; he had not been a boy in years.

"I wish to ask permission to retrieve the family rings from the vault," he announced, trying not to hold his breath too obviously as he waited for the man's reaction. Odin's expression became one of distaste, and he scowled at his heir.

"You are of age. You are perfectly capable of withdrawing anything you might wish from the family vault without my permission," he remarked evenly. Thor didn't falter, nodding shortly.

"But I would still like permission just the same. It is tradition." Odin snorted, eyeing him incredulously.

"You dare comment on _tradition_ when you intend to propose to that _boy_?" he spat, and Thor bristled.

"Yes, I dare," he replied, not letting his father's ire scare him. He was long past the age of being affected by Odin's spite. "I even dare to extend an invitation towards you, should he accept. I cannot help but wonder why you even adopted him when you clearly find his blood status so offensive."

"He was practically thrust into my arms, I would have looked a barbarian had I refused," Odin dismissed easily.

"So you thought that raising him to constantly feel unworthy of everything he ever loved was the better option?" Thor exclaimed, anger colouring his tone. "It has taken me years, with the help of my friends, to convince Loki that he is _worth_ something, that he _deserves_ the affection we all hold for him. Because of you, we have been involved for over four years and he still believes I may declare him unworthy of my time and leave him." He tried to restrain his ire, not wanting to seem impulsive and childish. He wouldn't stoop to Odin's level. "I still do not understand how you could take two boys and claim them both as sons, yet treat them in two vastly different ways."

"If I had truly claimed you both as sons, you would not have formed this farce of a relationship," Odin sniped.

"You could not say that for sure," Thor returned evenly. "Mother always treated us the same, treated us as sons of her blood and told us to consider each other kin, and yet we still fell in love. I do not want your opinion on my relationship, nor do I want your opinion of Loki." He'd heard enough of it over the years, and he didn't want to end the visit by punching his father in the face. "But I love him with every corner of my soul, and I would trade every possession I own to spend the rest of my life by his side. All I ask is for you to grant me permission to propose to the man I have already given my heart to, and that you might consent to observing the union."

Odin was silent for several long moments, and it took all of Thor's nerve to stop himself squirming under the man's intense gaze. "I shall grant that permission, only because I know that even should I refuse, you would do so anyway." Thor stifled a sigh of relief; that was the hard part over with. "But do not expect me to attend; I do not approve of this union, I do not like your chosen spouse, and I will not bless any family you might make with him. You are my legal heir, and nothing more; I would have struck you from the family tree years ago would it not leave me with no one to continue this family's great legacy." It was nothing Thor didn't know already, but the words still hurt, and he hated himself for visibly flinching.

"Of course. Thank you for the permission." Nodding sharply to the older man, Thor didn't push the matter of attendance; he had already overstepped his bounds, and truthfully he didn't really want Odin there anyway. He didn't want anything to spoil what could only be the happiest day of his life.

Not wanting to suffer through the awkwardness of trying to say polite goodbyes, Thor turned on his heel and left the office, waiting until he was in the lift before letting out a long breath and relaxing, a slow grin tugging at his lips. He had his father's — admittedly reluctant — permission to propose to Loki with the family rings. He just had to make a quick stop at Gringotts to pick them up, and then start planning his proposal. It had to be absolutely _perfect_ , for Loki.


	13. Rhodey

**3 Years, 6 Months Post-Graduation**

.-.

Trying to ignore the man-child on his bed, Rhodey rolled his eyes and shoved the final stack of books into a cardboard box. Just about everything was packed already, but Tony had insisted on being around for the last day to 'help'. So far, Rhodey had yet to see any evidence of helping; all his best friend had done was sit on the bed and comment on his taste in reading material.

"Are you really sure you want to do this?" the genius asked suddenly, drawing the younger man's attention as he double checked his dresser for any lost socks. He wasn't taking much with him, but he was renting out his apartment so everything he owned had to go into storage.

"Yes, Tony, for the hundredth time," he replied, rolling his eyes. Tony had tried to talk him out of things for months, since he'd first heard about the decision. It wasn't that he thought it was a bad one, and Rhodey knew he was proud deep down, but… Tony liked having all his friends in one place. Hell, when Sif had spent four months in Denmark with family, he had gone ape shit about calling her every single day. Rhodey was kind of glad he'd have scheduled phone and internet hours that he wouldn't be able to get around. "This is something I need to do," he added, a determined expression on his face as he turned to the man who had been with him since they were barely old enough to walk. "You know it's not a last-minute thing for me, Tone. I've been thinking about this since I graduated. But… now feels like a good time."

He sat down on the edge of the bed, beside his friend, knocking their shoulders together. "I've always wanted to help people," he mused, leaning into Tony's side. "To make a difference. This is how I can do that. I know it's not ideal, and it's not what anyone really expected, but… it's what I want to do."

"I know, honeybear," Tony replied with a sigh, head falling to Rhodey's shoulder. "And I'm supportive, and super proud, like, you have no idea how proud I am of how badass you're gonna be. Ask Bruce and Steve, they know." Rhodey snorted, ruffling Tony's hair playfully.

"I know, you moron; you don't shut up about it when you're drunk," he teased, a smile on his face. He looked around his bare bedroom, remembering how it had looked just after he'd moved in. They'd had a party to help him get all his crap unpacked, and ended up staying up until 5am playing video games and eating pizza, until finally Clint and Phil had been drunk enough to start dry-humping on the couch and he'd thrown everyone out. No way in hell his friends were gonna have sex in his apartment before he did. "I'm gonna miss you too, y'know that, right?"

"I assumed as much. I'd be disappointed if you didn't," Tony informed him simply, making him snicker. "So you'd better call and email regularly. Like, once a week at the very _least_."

"I will, I promise," Rhodey replied, slinging an arm around him and kissing the top of his head. Tony wriggled in his grasp, turning to look him in the eyes.

"If you die, I'll kill you," he declared. Rhodey didn't let his grin falter, pulling him into a tighter hug.

"I will do my very, very best not to die, and that's a promise," he swore. Pulling back, he glanced at the clock on the bedside table, which he was leaving for whoever ended up renting his place. He had to leave in twenty minutes. They'd already had his going-away party, and he'd said his goodbyes to the rest of the crew, but Tony… Tony was different. Tony was always different. "I have to get going, Tone. Don't wanna be late on my first official day." He'd done some minor training days, but they seemed to take his basic auror training as enough, to begin with. He had no doubt he'd be put through his paces when he got there, but he was prepared for that; looking forward to it, even.

"Yeah, wouldn't want them to realise what a miscreant you are before you even start," Tony teased, smirking. Rhodey laughed, rolling his eyes.

"Like my Hogwarts record hasn't informed them of that already," he retorted lightly. "All the trouble you and Clint got me in." Tony reeled back with a mock-hurt expression on his face, eyes theatrically wide.

"Me? Trouble? You wound me with your cruel, cruel lies, sugarbuns." He couldn't hold the expression for long, letting a soft smile creep across his features, and he placed both hands on Rhodey's shoulders, looking oddly serious. "I know you're all grown up and wearing your big boy pants, but if you need anything, absolutely anything, just drop me a line, okay? You're my brother from another mother, and I love you. And," he paused to grin, winking. "I'm gonna say this just one more time because I know you're getting sick of it, but I'm crazy proud of you. You're going to be _awesome_." Laughing, Rhodey smiled as Tony pressed a kiss to his forehead, bringing him into a hug.

"I love you too, Tony. Thanks for coming over today." As much as he'd complained about it, he was glad Tony was there. He hadn't wanted to face things alone.

Reluctantly getting to his feet, he reached out beside his duffle for his shirt, shrugging it on over his t-shirt and carefully doing it up. Unable to help himself, he glanced in the mirror on the wall, smiling at the carefully embroidered 'Rhodes' across his chest, standing out against the beiges. Tony stood behind him, clapping him on the shoulder and beaming with pride. "Good luck, Rhodey," he murmured, lifting the man's duffle for him to shoulder it. "I'll sort out all your stuff, and send me an email when you get settled, let me know if there's anyone fun in with you." Grinning, Tony kissed his cheek, dusting off his shoulders and stepping back. "Go get 'em, tiger." Rhodey grinned back, falling into a sharp salute; something he'd be doing plenty of times in the future.

"Sir, yes, sir!" he barked out, relaxing just a fraction as Tony began to laugh, and winking at his best friend, before apparating away.

He arrived just outside the headquarters of the Magical Devision of the United States Military, and took a deep breath before reaching for the door handle. He'd gotten this far; he couldn't wait for the rest.


	14. Darcy

**4 Years Post-Graduation**

.-.

Small plastic bag stuffed between her tablet and a magazine in her handbag, Darcy wandered through the doors of Stark Industries, trying not to look suspicious. There was no reason for her to look suspicious; she worked there, she had every right to pop out for ten minutes and then come back. Still feeling irrationally like everyone was staring at her, Darcy made a beeline for the elevator, punching the button for her floor. Tony and Pepper were both at meetings so she was holding down the fort. Hopefully nothing too groundbreaking had happened while she was out. JARVIS totally had it covered.

Slipping into her chair behind her desk, the nineteen year-old attempted to play it cool, to try and look like she'd just gone for coffee or something. She didn't manage it long, and it was barely three minutes before she was jumping out of her seat. "Bathroom," she declared, despite being the only person in the room. Taking her handbag with her, she walked quickly, ducking through doors and offering too-wide smiles to the people she passed. God, she was terrible at being sneaky when she was nervous. At least she already had a reputation for being weird; people tended to just shake their heads in exasperation and not ask any further when a situation involved one of Tony's school friends.

She breathed a sigh of relief when the ladies' bathroom was empty when she entered it, and ducked into the nearest stall, perching on the closed toilet. Handbag on her lap, she dug through it, pulling out the little plastic shopping bag and emptying it into her hand. It only contained one box, long and narrow, and she swallowed thickly as she opened it. The instructions were half a mile long, but the important bit was at the top. Besides; Darcy, like every girl, knew what to do. Just pee on the stick, and wait.

Manoeuvring around in the tiny cubicle, she managed to pee on the little tab of the stick without too much difficulty. There were potions, but she preferred the look of the muggle ones; and they were easier to buy without suspicion. Lifting it up, she set it on top of the toilet roll holder, performing a quick cleaning charm on her hands and flushing the toilet, putting the lid down so she could sit on it more comfortably. "Okay, two minutes," she murmured, setting up a floating timer in front of her. She tried not to panic while she waited, but it was an impossible task; all her brain could comprehend was that in a minute and a half, something on that little stick was either going to give her a plus sign or a minus sign. She didn't know which answer she wanted; sure, she loved kids, and she wanted them, but… she was nineteen. She'd only been out of Hogwarts for two years, and she was the youngest of the group. Bucky was only twenty-one, still getting established in the Auror Department. They hadn't really talked about starting a family yet. But really, this was so typical; other than Pepper and Happy, and Sif and Fandral, who were both too organised to have an 'accident' like this, her and Bucky were the only ones in the group who didn't have to go through a stringent, well thought-out adoption or surrogacy process to get kids. Just insert tab A into slot B and… bam.

But she might not even be pregnant. Darcy knew that logically, that was probably the better option — they weren't ready to have kids, at _all_ — but… she'd been worrying over the question for a week, as she got nauseous for no reason and was far too late on her period. And in all that time, she'd just been assuming the test would be positive. She couldn't help but start imagining what a baby of her and Bucky would look like; adorable, no doubt. Would it be a boy or a girl? How ridiculously spoiled would it be with Tony Stark as its uncle? As she thought about the possibilities, she got more and more used to the idea, and she knew that deep down, she'd be disappointed if the test was negative.

Her timer bleeped, and she about had a heart attack, looking over at the stick still on the toilet roll holder. She couldn't see what it said from where she was sat. With shaking fingers she reached out, grasping the piece of plastic and holding it up to her face. Her breath left her lungs, and her heart beat so fast she thought it might break out of her chest. There it was; a tiny blue positive sign on the white background. She was pregnant.

She choked out a laugh, the stick falling into her lap as her grip went slack. "Oh my God," she murmured, eyes wide and breath coming fast. Was she hyperventilating? She thought she might be. "Oh my _God_." How was she going to tell Bucky? How was she going to tell her _parents_?

Still, she could see it now; a tiny little red-faced baby with a tuft of dark brown hair, and equally brown eyes. Getting up at 3am to feed it, and having to make sure someone was there to watch it _all_ the time, and oh, Merlin, she had to _give birth_. "Oh God," she wailed under her breath, getting a little light-headed. How the hell was she supposed to look after a baby? She barely remembered to feed _herself_ most days. And Bucky… he was going to be so mad, they hadn't ever talked about the possibility of kids. Sure, it was kind-of his fault too, it took two to tango and all that, but still.

"Darcy?" She jumped at the voice, eyes going wide in alarm. What was Steve doing in the ladies' room? "Darcy, where are you? JARVIS called me and said you were having a panic attack, I came right down." She let out a snort; good old JARVIS.

"Hang on," she called shakily, reaching forward to fumble with the lock on the door, letting it swing open. Steve's footsteps on the tiles were loud as he drew closer, and his face was the picture of concern as he stopped in front of her. He opened his mouth to speak, but then his eyes landed on the white stick in her lap, and he froze.

"Is that…" he trailed off, and she nodded. "And is it…?" He didn't seem to be able to finish a sentence, and it made her laugh faintly, nodding again.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is." She held it up, displaying the plus sign so he could see, and he let out a long breath.

"Damn. Wow, Darce. I— come here, sweetheart, before you pass out." Inching his enormous frame into the tiny cubicle, he easily shifted them around until he was the one sat on the toilet seat, Darcy in his lap. He hugged her close, kissing her forehead. "Congratulations," he murmured, a grin crossing his lips. "I take it this wasn't planned?" His fingers carding through her hair were soothing, and she concentrated on his breathing as she tried to calm her own.

"You think?" she retorted wryly, the sarcasm halfhearted. "God, Steve, what the hell am I gonna do? I'm not ready for this!" He wrapped his arm tighter around her, chin propped on the top of her head, and she happily snuggled into his chest, his heartbeat steady in her ear.

"I don't think anyone's ever ready to be a parent," he pointed out. Darcy choked at his words; she was going to be a _parent_. "But for the record, I think you'll be great at it. Come on, how about I take you upstairs, make you some tea, we can call Bucky over and tell him the good news."

"Oh my God," she breathed at the prospect of telling Bucky, making Steve chuckle.

"He'll be so happy," he promised. "He loves kids, he's wanted them ever since we were kids ourselves."

"But I'm nineteen," she argued, voice quiet.

"Yeah, and you'll be twenty next month," Steve reminded. "Look, Darce; no one's going to force you to keep it, if you don't want to. Buck will understand." Even the thought of abortion, of getting rid of a baby that was her and Bucky together, made Darcy want to vomit.

"No, no, I'm keeping it," she assured quickly. "I'm just shitting myself about it." Steve smiled, kissing her hair.

"Well you'll have all of us by your side the whole way, okay?" He got to his feet with her still in his arms, picking up her handbag and the positive test on the way. With a soft pop, they were in his living room, and Darcy practically fell onto the couch, pulling the blanket up to her neck. Steve ran a hand over her hair, smiling. "I'll call Buck and put the kettle on. Unless you need a few more minutes?" Darcy shook her head, letting out a sigh.

"No, no, he can come over. If I leave it, I'll start freaking out again," she admitted ruefully. He nodded, disappearing, and it seemed like barely seconds later when the fire was flaring green, and her boyfriend stepped out, still in uniform.

"Darcy," he gasped, rushing to her side. "Steve said it was urgent, are you okay? Is something wrong?" Darcy smiled as he sat with her, and pulled him into a soft kiss.

"Nothing's wrong," she promised. "Just… I need to tell you something, and you have to promise not to freak out, okay?" Steve edged into the room with a tray full of mugs in his hands, and Darcy smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Steve."

"No problem. I'll, uh, leave you to it. Unless you want me to stay?" he asked in concern.

"No, it's fine. I've got this." Steve grinned at her, picking up his mug and taking it back to the kitchen, and Darcy reached for her tea.

"I promise I won't freak out," Bucky said obediently. "But you're worrying me, babe. What's the matter?" Bending to slide a hand into her handbag, Darcy let her fingers close around the white plastic stick.

"Uh, well… how do you feel about kids? Like, a baby?" As his eyes went wide, she pulled out the pregnancy test and showed it to him, nerves squirming in her gut.

"You're pregnant?" he breathed, awed. Darcy nodded, biting her lip anxiously. "Oh my God, Darce, that's… that's amazing!" A wide grin spread slowly across his face, and he bundled her in a hug, kissing her firmly. "I'm gonna be a daddy?"

"Yeah, Buckeroo," she whispered in reply, tears starting to leak from her eyes even as she beamed at him. "And I'm gonna be a mommy."

"You'll be the best mom, Darcy," he declared confidently. "Oh Merlin, I have to call Peggy and tell her the news! And everyone else!" He continued dotting kisses all over her face, gushing about how they'd have to tell his mom and Steve's mom and her parents and all their friends and they'd need to turn the spare room into a nursery and _oh God they'd have to get her a healer_. Darcy just let him babble, the excitement beginning to mingle with the shock. Bucky was happy; they could do this. They would be _awesome_ parents.


	15. Tony

**4 Years, 7 Months Post-Graduation**

.-.

The entire group was gathered in the living room at the Stark-Banner-Rogers household, as it was the biggest of any of the places they owned. However, those three weren't the centre of attention; instead the trio on the couch were being surrounded, everyone wanting to get a good look. Ashleigh Nicole Barnes, born January 2nd at ten past three in the morning, was barely a day old and already the most adorable thing Tony had ever seen. She was still sort of red and scrunchy, but Bruce had assured him that would change, and Tony found it cute anyways. So did everyone else, if the gushing and cooing was anything to go by. The birth had gone through with no complications whatsoever; textbook, according to the midwife and the healer. Luckily it had meant that Darcy could come home quickly, though her, Bucky and Ashleigh would be staying with Tony and the guys for a little while, to let Darcy get some sleep and recover.

He could barely see the baby girl through all the people crowded around her as she slept peacefully in her mother's arms, but he probably could have seen the proud smile on Bucky's face from Australia. The man hadn't stopped gushing about how amazing his kid and girlfriend were; he had every right to, though. They made pretty gorgeous kids. Tony had been at the hospital when Ashleigh had been born, so he'd already had the chance to fuss over her, and was staying back now to give everyone else a chance. That didn't seem to stop Steve, however; he hadn't stopped grinning like a fool since Bucky had asked him to be godfather, two weeks before Ashleigh had been born. With Jane as a godmother, Tony was under the impression that the kid couldn't possibly get a better start in life. And she would have far more aunts and uncles than she knew what to do with; Tony was especially looking forward to that part.

A grin flickered at his lips as he watched his blonde husband gently ease the blanket-wrapped baby from Darcy's lap, cradling her tiny form in just one of his massive arms. Despite his size, and his worries of dropping her or holding her too tight — worries he'd confided in Tony and Bruce, who had told him he was being ridiculous — his grip on the girl was exceedingly gentle, and the look of awe on Steve's face as he rocked Ashleigh made Tony's chest tighten in a warm sort of way. Steve would be an amazing father.

An arm slid around his waist, and Tony didn't need to look to know it was Bruce, leaning into the werewolf's side and smiling as a kiss was placed on his cheek. "He looks great with a kid in his arms, doesn't he?" Bruce mused softly. Tony smiled; of course his husband was on the same wavelength as him. They always were.

"He'd look even better with one of his own," he replied impulsively. Bruce's eyebrows rose, and he turned Tony's face to meet his gaze.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Tony nodded, tilting his chin for a kiss.

"I've been thinking about it, with Buck and Darce going through everything. I think between the three of us we'd manage to raise a pretty awesome kid, don't you? And Ash will need a cousin to play with and stuff. We're all at good places in our jobs, Stark Industries is doing great… maybe we could look into adopting?" His words were quiet and tentative, almost drowned out by the bustle going on further in the room, but Bruce heard every single one. Tony could tell by the way his eyes lit up a little that he liked the idea; Bruce's wolf wanted pack, wanted cubs. They were old enough to start settling down now, and he knew they wouldn't be the only ones thinking about it now Darcy had given birth. Hell, he could count the broody expressions in the room on both hands, and would probably need to use a few of Bruce's fingers too.

"That would be amazing," Bruce agreed, arm tightening briefly around Tony. "We should talk it over with Steve, maybe tonight after everyone's gone home."

"Yeah, of course," Tony confirmed easily. He wouldn't even dream of making the decision without discussing it with Steve first. He looked back over at the group, where Steve had passed Ashleigh off to a nervous-looking Loki sat beside Darcy, and was watching the baby with love in his eyes. "But just look at him," he murmured, smiling when Steve glanced up to seek them out, his smile widening as he backed out of the group and began walking towards him. "Can you really see him saying no?"

Steve approached with a fond expression, sliding into the embrace with ease and dropping brief kisses on their lips. "What are you two whispering about, hmm?" he asked teasingly. "You should come see the baby."

"She'll be living here for the next two weeks, honeybuns; we'll get to see her all the time," Tony pointed out with a smile. "The others should get a chance to look." He leaned up to kiss him again, biting his lower lip playfully. "And as for our whispering, we'll tell you later. But you'll like it, I promise." Steve wiggled his eyebrows, and Tony could tell he was exuding arousal by the way Bruce's nostrils flared and his eyes darkened just for a moment. Smirking mischievously, he slipped away from his lovers to go check on the food in the oven, suddenly feeling incredibly buzzed for the conversation he and his husbands would hopefully be having that night.

He'd always thought he would be a terrible, terrible father; he'd hardly had the best role model. But with all his friends to help him out, and Bruce's mom and Steve's mom and Bucky's mom — because she was basically Steve's second mother and would definitely count any of his offspring as her grandchildren — and with Bruce and Steve by his side… he wanted to be a parent. He wanted his partners to get the chance to be parents. Steve was practically born to be a father, and while Bruce had as many doubts as Tony himself did, Tony knew he'd be amazing at it. Besides, raising a kid sounded like fun. He snickered quietly as he imagined the look on Headmaster Fury's face if Happy went back and told him that Tony Stark was having a kid. He'd probably retire right there on the spot. Surely that in itself was reason enough to go through with it.


	16. Jane

**5 Years Post-Graduation**

.-.

The first thing Jane noticed was a pain in her head, and a strange tingling feeling in her hands and forearms.

Letting out a low groan, she cracked an eye open warily, shutting it immediately at the blinding display of white and green. St Mungo's, of course. The longer she lay there, the more recollection she had of what had brought her there; one of her colleagues insisting she'd got the rune sequence down perfectly for the ward she was creating, begging Jane to come watch her and check for inconsistencies. A flash of bright blue light and a loud bang, a flare of hot magic, then pain and blackness. Was everyone okay?

"Miss Foster? Miss, I know you're awake, can you open your eyes for me?" Reluctantly, Jane opened her eyes once more, meeting the gaze of her nurse. It was a woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties, with dark hair and a kind smile on her face as she checked Jane's monitor.

"How long have I been out? Was everyone else okay?" The nurse's smile widened, and she nodded.

"Everyone else is just fine, Miss. Your colleague is in a room down the hall, but she's on the mend, and no one else was harmed in the explosion. You've been out for around five hours now; you got a bit burnt, and your core is depleted, but you'll be right as rain in no time," she explained, before grinning impishly. "And don't worry, Miss. I had them grow your eyebrows back before you woke up. Didn't think you'd want to see them gone."

"I'm starting to think I should just get them tattooed," Jane remarked dryly, managing a weak smile. "I burn them off so often. It's a job hazard." Either potions or spells, eyebrows tended to be sacrificed to the cause fairly often. The nurse laughed, helping her sit up in the bed.

"It does seem to be quite common with you Stark Industries lot," she agreed. "How are you feeling?"

"I have a killer headache, and my hands feel weird," Jane revealed, glancing down to see both of her arms covered in light bandages from elbow to fingertip.

"Yes, well, you're still growing skin back. You held your arms up to cover your face, so they got hit the worst. You'll have to stay in overnight, I'm afraid." The nurse fussed over her a little more, and Jane frowned.

"Has anyone been called? My phone was in my pocket," she started, only to be waved off.

"Mr Stark came to visit as soon as he heard about the accident, and he assured me he'd called the rest of your friends. He also said something about a Miss Lewis coming to visit once you've woken up? We'll call him once your healer has seen you and cleared you for visitors," the nurse explained. Jane felt herself relax at the confirmation that her friends — her family, really — knew she was there and she was okay. But if she'd only been out five hours, most of them would probably still be at work. It had been morning when the accident had happened.

"Great, thank you. Is there anything I need to take, or…?" Jane trailed off, earning an amused look.

"Not your first rodeo, huh?" the nurse mused, and Jane smirked in reply.

"I've been best friends with Tony Stark since first year," she pointed out. "I'm a pro at this by now." Her nurse laughed, scrawling something down on her chart.

"Well you do have potions, but they have to be taken with food, so I'll have lunch sent up to you right away. Your healer should be in with you shortly, and there's a call bell just on the side table there if you have any problems," she added, pointing to the little silver bell sat next to Jane's phone and purse on the bedside table.

"Thank you." With that, the nurse left Jane alone in the room, and she slumped back against her pillows. One of these days, she was going to end up seriously injured from one of these damn explosions. She wasn't going to _stop_ , of course not, and really between her and Tony's created wards from their school days they had about as much protection as physically possible, but… eventually, she'd stop being so lucky. Hopefully she wouldn't actually kill herself with an experiment. Or at least, if she did, she hoped it wouldn't be something lame.

Trying not to dwell on things, Jane reached over to her phone, wincing at the pain in her hand as she grasped it. Yeah, she really wanted that healed up soon. Still, she pushed through and set the phone on her blanket, tapping at the screen with her least-painful finger. There were several texts from friends, as well as a couple of calls from the half-hour directly after the accident, obviously before word had gotten around. Most of the texts were get-well notes, and she couldn't help but smile at the picture Darcy had text her, of little Ashleigh beaming widely, the caption reading _'Ash needs her godmommy better!'_. God, that kid was adorable. Deciding to wait on replying until it wasn't taking her three million years to type out one word, she scrolled through a few more texts, startling when the door swung open.

She gaped. Wow.

Her healer was tall, blonde and gorgeous; a hunk, to use Darcy's favourite word. Part of her admitted slightly shamefully that he looked quite a bit like Thor, but it was different; this man's hair was cut short and neat, and he had silver-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. Still, he was built like a brick wall, his lime green healer's robes stretched taut across muscular shoulders, and Jane swallowed as her throat suddenly went dry, feeling her cheeks pulse with heat. The man smiled at her, sending a flutter in her stomach that she couldn't blame on potions. "Good afternoon, Miss Foster," he greeted, his voice friendly. "I'm Don Blake, I'm your healer for the duration of your stay here. The nurse said you had a headache?"

"Yeah, but it's uh, not that bad. Magic flashes, y'know? Does murder on the eyes," she remarked with a weak laugh, feeling herself blush harder. He chuckled, and the sound was like warm honey. Sitting up a little straighter in the hospital bed, Jane managed a smile. "Seriously, I'm fine. This is like, the fifth time this month, but usually I don't end up so far as St Mungo's. We've got a pretty well-developed medical wing over at Stark Industries." If she remembered correctly, it was all under quarantine for now. Something about a potion gone wrong producing a highly contagious illness.

"Yes, well, it's still my duty to make sure you're all right," Healer Blake replied, smiling, pulling his wand from his pocket. He winked at her, and she felt sixteen all over again. "I wouldn't want to be remiss in my duty now, would I?" Jane grinned, inwardly wondering on the morality of trying to hook up with her healer. She'd ask Darcy when her friend came to visit, but Jane was pretty sure she'd know what the younger woman would say. How the hell could she let a hottie like that slip through her fingers?


	17. Tasha

**7 Years, 1 Month Post-Graduation**

.-.

Tasha smiled fondly as she watched her partner levitate a cuddly snitch above the head of one year-old Ava Coulson, Maria's lips curved in a smile as the little girl toddled after it, hands outstretched. Sipping at the wine in her hand, the redhead glanced over at her two friends, who were cuddled up on the couch together. Clint was twitching, but trying to hide it, and Tasha knew something was up. She and Maria had been invited over for dinner, and Phil and Clint had been faking casual all evening. Anyone else would have bought it, but, well, Tasha wasn't just anyone.

"So what's the deal?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at her best friend. Clint startled just a fraction, giving her a grin.

"What do you mean?" Natasha rolled her eyes at his words, free hand carding through Maria's hair as the woman leant back against the couch, Ava on her lap. The girl was up later than usual, and beginning to get sleepy after the hype, but wouldn't dare go to bed while her aunts were still around.

"You invited us over specifically for tonight," the Slytherin pointed out. "Usually you just wait for us to turn up sometime. And you've been nervous all night, so spill, what's going on?" The pair on the couch shared an uneasy look, Clint's expression somewhat sheepish. Really, they should have known they'd be caught out.

"I thought you might notice," Phil admitted, his arm tightening around Clint's shoulders. "Yeah, we do have a reason to invite you over. Not that we need a reason, but like you said, usually we don't plan in advance." He bit his lip, and Clint squeezed his hand encouragingly, making Natasha frown. What could be the problem that they were so anxious talking to her about it?

"Is everything okay?" she asked, concerned. "You're not ill or something, are you? Or Ava?" Clint chuckled, shaking his head, and some of the tension ran out of Tasha's shoulders.

"No, no, all three of us are fit and healthy," he promised. "We, uh, wanted to ask you a favour. Both of you." Maria shifted, her head resting back against Tasha's calves.

"What is it, boys?" she asked, settling Ava against her chest and reaching up to settle one hand on Tasha's socked foot.

"We've been talking a lot over the past few months, about Ava, and kids, and, well, we'd like either of you to surrogate for us. Only if you're willing, of course," Clint added hastily. Tasha's eyes went wide in shock; they wanted her or Maria to be the mother of their second child?

"We know you don't want kids of your own, we completely understand if you say no," Phil assured them both. "Pregnancy is a huge thing to go through for a kid that isn't even yours. But Clint and I _really_ want another baby, and I think if we have to go through the adoption process again it'll kill us." Wizarding orphan babies were rare; waiting for one to come up for adoption could take _years_. They'd gotten lucky with Ava, the first time around. Phil had been one of the first on the scene at her parents' murder, to investigate the strange circumstances. He'd fallen for her on the spot, helping calm her down for the healer to have a look at her, and had managed to get a word in for him and Clint before she'd even properly entered the system. Despite that, it had still taken them months to officially get custody of her. They were highly unlikely to get that lucky a second time.

"Wow, guys," Maria breathed, and Tasha nodded in agreement, stunned. She had no idea Clint and Phil had even been considering surrogacy. Tony, Steve and Bruce had talked it over with Pepper before deciding on adoption, but as Tony Stark he'd been able to bypass a lot of the paperwork rigamarole, and they'd had the twins within a few months; the adoption agency hadn't wanted to separate the twin boys, so the trio had jumped at the chance to take them both. Natasha had assumed that, having picked adoption once, Clint and Phil would stick with that option.

"I… I don't know what to say," the redhead murmured. "Are you sure?"

"Can't think of anyone else we'd want it to be," Clint replied honestly. "You or Maria, I can't think of a better mom for our kid. I mean, just look at you both, who wouldn't want those genetics?" he remarked with a wink, making them snort. "Seriously, Tasha, Maria; if you don't want to do it, that's totally fine. It's a huge decision, for both of you. We won't blame you or anything if you say no, we just wanted to… throw the option out there." He and Phil looked so conflicted — hopeful, but not daring to let themselves hope — that Tasha felt a pain in her chest a little. How could she deny her two closest friends what they so desperately wanted? They were amazing fathers, absolutely doted on Ava, and deserved another child.

"Whose, uh, DNA would you be using?" she queried, not missing how Clint went a little wide-eyed. Clearly he'd been expecting her to say no straight off the bat.

"Mine, probably, since Phil's got cousins and stuff to carry on the family line," the archer replied. "Especially if, uh, you say yes, Nat. From what I remember of my family, the ginger gene is in there somewhere, and a little ginger kid would just be too adorable." Natasha couldn't help but snicker; of course Clint had thought through that far.

She glanced down at her girlfriend, who was looking up at her, a knowing expression in her eyes. She knew what decision Tasha had already made, and by the soft smile on her lips she was okay with it. Tasha smiled back, squeezing her shoulder briefly, then turned back to Clint and Phil. "I'll do it." It seemed to take a few seconds to kick in, and Clint gaped, Phil going almost chalk-white in shock beside him.

"You… you will?" he asked tentatively. Tasha nodded, giving them both a smile.

"Yeah, I will. You guys deserve another kid, Ava deserves a sibling. I want to help with that in any way I can, and if that means carrying the kid, so be it. I'm a safer option than Maria, what with her job and all." Maria was an Unspeakable same as Phil, and ended up encountering all sorts of unidentified things at work. Tasha, on the other hand, could just take maternity leave from the whole assassin business.

She was a little terrified about the prospect of becoming pregnant, but women had been doing it for millennia. How hard could it be? And while her and Maria didn't want kids of their own, being involved in Clint's kids' lives was a pretty great substitute. "Surrogacy is always easier to apply for when you know the surrogate, right?" She knew that much from her talks with Steve, who had once told her that choosing a surrogate from a list was unreliable as they could choose to keep the baby. There was no chance of her doing that to Phil and Clint.

"Oh my God, Tasha, I… thank you," Clint murmured, gobsmacked. He was gripping Phil's hand so tight it looked painful, and seemed almost near tears. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Tasha got up, crossing the room to go and perch in Clint's lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"You are my brothers, and I love you," she told him softly, loud enough for Phil to hear. "There is very little I would not do to make you happy." He hugged her back tightly, and she felt lips on her temple that definitely belonged to Phil.

"Love you too, Tasha. We can never thank you enough for this," the older man declared, voice husky with emotion. Tasha's smile widened as she felt Maria getting in on the group hug, easily slipping into Phil's lap, Ava asleep in her arms.

"You don't have to thank me," the redhead told them, a mischievous grin crossing her lips. "Thank Maria. She's the one who'll have to put up with me pregnant all the time." Maria groaned, head falling against Phil's shoulder, and the man snorted.

"Look on the bright side," he said supportively, grinning. He too looked like he might cry, and Tasha didn't doubt the pair would have a very emotional moment once she and Maria were gone. "According to Bucky and Darcy, pregnancy sex is amazing." Maria snorted loudly, and Tasha laughed; all of them had heard at some point or another in Darcy's pregnancy about the joys of pregnancy sex. She had to admit, if it was all it was cracked up to be, she was sort-of looking forward to it. And either way, the beaming smiles on her friends' faces made all the potential pain and discomfort totally worth it.


	18. Hogun

**12 Years, 3 Months Post-Graduation**

.-.

"We'll be absolutely fine," Hogun insisted, rolling his eyes exasperatedly. "Wonderful, even." He didn't know why he felt anxious when Thor and Loki exchanged a glance, but he tried not to squirm visibly.

"If you're sure," Loki drawled in reply, raising an eyebrow at him. "We can always call Darcy and Bucky over, if it would be easier?" Hogun stared at the two children sprawled on the living room sofa; a four year-old and a one year-old. How hard could it be to babysit them for two days?

"You do not need to call Darcy, I am perfectly capable of looking after them myself!" he assured, somewhat offended by his friends' apparent lack of faith. "Now go; there is no need to worry, everything will be _fine_." Thor bit his lip, but sighed, nodding and moving forward to hug his friend.

"Any instructions you may need are in the folder on the kitchen table. Good luck, and we shall see you tomorrow night," he added, clapping Hogun on the back. The dark-haired man smiled, grabbing Loki in a brief hug.

"Have a good weekend, both of you. You deserve a break." It was their anniversary, and all of them were determined to make sure the couple actually took some time away for themselves. Ever since they'd adopted their daughter just under four years ago, their whole lives had revolved around their children. It was admirable, but Hogun knew they were looking forward to being alone for a weekend. They'd booked a room in a beautiful town in Italy, despite everyone knowing they would very likely never leave the hotel room to see it.

"Be good for Uncle Hogun, my dears," Loki told his children, hugging them both goodbye. Little Jorge hardly understood what was going on, and Hogun hoped it may stay that way. He could cry something fierce when he was parted from his parents.

"We will, promise," Hel replied, her dark eyes round and earnest. Loki laughed, kissing her forehead and passing her to Thor so the blonde could do the same.

"Now why don't I believe you?" the elder of the pair teased, tweaking his daughter's nose. "We love you, little one. See you tomorrow night." After a few more goodbyes, and some worried glances from Loki, the couple apparated away, leaving Hogun alone with the two children. The thirty year-old stared at Hel, who stared back, a sweet smile on her face.

"Uncle Hogun, can I get my crayons please?" she asked politely, making him smile.

"Of course." Her smile widened, and she darted towards the stairs. Hogun moved to Jorge, picking up the chubby blonde toddler and bouncing him on his hip.

"Looks like it's just you and me for a while, hmm?" he breathed, kissing the boy's temple. Keeping up the bouncing motion, he headed for the kitchen, supposing he should read the instruction folder left to him. Though really, how many instructions could he possibly need to look after two children under five? Thor and Loki were just worrying too much, as always.

"Where Dada?" Jorge asked, a frown beginning to tug at his lips.

"Your fathers are away for a while," Hogun told him. "They will be back tomorrow night." Jorge's frown deepened, and Hogun stopped in his tracks as he saw the enormous folder on the table. He didn't get the chance to even touch it before Jorge was letting out an ear-splitting wail, face turning red as he cried for his parents. His crying startled Fenrir, who had been asleep beside the fridge, and the dog barked in annoyance. Hogun winced, rocking the boy gently, wondering if there was anything in the instructions about getting Jorge to settle.

What had he gotten himself into?

.-.

Thor and Loki apparated into their hallway, still grinning and flushed from the quick romp in the hotel room before checking out. They had needed the weekend away more than they realised, and Loki couldn't stop smiling even as they returned home. Thor's arm was around his waist, and the blonde leaned down to press a kiss to his lips. Fenrir barked at their arrival, bounding into the room to be fussed over, licking Loki's fingers eagerly. The dark-haired man laughed, petting the dog with a smile. "Go settle, you daft thing; we'll fuss over you in the morning." Fenrir seemed to huff, but got the message, retreating back to his bed under the stairs. Thor pulled Loki close once more, smiling.

"Let's see how ragged our children have run poor Hogun, shall we?" he murmured, amused. Loki smirked, nodding and leading the way through to the living room. He had loved the time away, but was desperate to see his children again.

He stifled a laugh at the sight of his friend sprawled out on the sofa, fast asleep, looking absolutely exhausted. He had a bright green marker-moustache on his face, as well as bright pink fingernails and glitter crusted in his hair. The room had clearly been tidied half-heartedly before the man fell asleep, sheets of loose paper covered in crayon drawings still littering the floor. "Oh dear," he remarked, snorting. "We should probably check on the rest of the house, hmm?"

"Indeed," Thor agreed, twining their fingers together as they made for the stairs. A quick check into each of their children's bedrooms showed the two sleeping peacefully in their respective beds, looking perfectly content and even relatively clean. If Hogun had attempted bathing them, Loki was impressed.

A glance into the playroom, however, revealed the apparent explosion that had occurred in the room. Toys and crayons and splashes of paint were everywhere; Thor didn't think he'd ever seen the playroom in quite the shambles. "Poor Hogun," he mused with a sigh, shaking his head. "But we did warn him." Their kids were energetic, rambunctious. Difficult to control at times, even for them. Hogun had never spent more than a few hours with them at a time, and always with other people around; other people who also had children. Spending the weekend alone with the two children was probably a shock to the system.

Loki couldn't help it; quiet snickers escaped him, and he buried his face in Thor's chest to muffle them. "We should go check on him," he said once he'd regained his composure, though he was still smiling. "See if he's all right." They made their way back down to the living room, unsurprised to see Hogun still asleep despite their arrival. Breaking away from his husband, Loki moved to shake the tall man's shoulder, jolting him from his slumber.

"Hmm?" Hogun murmured blearily, cracking one eye open. When he realised it was Loki stood over him, he startled wide awake, scrambling into a sitting position. "You're home! Gods, is it that time already?" He ran a hand through his hair, an apologetic look on his face. "I only laid down for ten minutes, I promise; the kids are in bed and I thought it would be fine to just close my eyes for a minute or two."

"Considering we have been home for fifteen…" Loki drawled, watching the man flush. "Honestly, Hogun, it's fine. Our children are exhausting, we know all too well."

"How was your weekend?" Hogun asked, rolling his eyes when the pair shared a heated look.

"Excellent, thank you for asking," Thor replied. "And yours?" Hogun sighed, shaking his head.

"I love your children," he began. "Merlin knows I do. But… I am _not_ cut out for babysitting, I am sorry." He looked severely put out by that admittance, but all Thor and Loki could do was laugh.


	19. Peggy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the end. I could honestly keep writing these guys forever, I love them so much, but every story needs an ending and I thought this was a good one :) I've had so much fun with this series, which started out on Tumblr as a couple of little oneshots and just mutated like crazy. I was never expecting it to get to 200k, but I'm so glad it did. Thanks to everyone who has been reading, commenting, kudos-ing, etc; I love you guys, and I hope you enjoyed this ride as much as I have. I hope you like the final chapter!

**16 Years Post-Graduation**

.-.

It was the first time she'd been back at Platform 9 ¾ since she'd graduated Hogwarts, and Peggy couldn't help but think that it hadn't changed one bit. There were still kids of all ages running around, harried parents chasing after them with trunks and owl cages and quidditch gear. Goodbyes were being said all over, though the train wasn't due to leave for a while yet. Peggy's throat tightened; this time, her goodbyes would be very different.

Rolling her eyes at the three impatient texts from Tony sent in quick succession, she slipped her phone back in her pocket and made towards where she could see Natasha's bright red hair. It looked like she was the last to arrive, which explained Tony's texts. Though she doubted the genius truly minded; the longer she took, the longer Tony had before having to say goodbye to his boys.

It was a landmark day for all of them, even those of them without children of their own to send off. The only three going were the twins and Ashleigh, but they had all turned up for the occasion just the same, and planned to every year until all their kids were graduated. Which, Peggy mused as she drew close enough to see Sif's pregnancy-swollen stomach, wouldn't be for quite a while. "Aunt Peggy! Aunt Peggy!" She grinned at the voices calling her in unison, spotting the identical heads of blonde hair racing towards her, a pair of dark braids bobbing in their wake.

"Hello, boys," she greeted fondly, crouching to hug the two eleven year-olds. "And hello, poppet." Determined to go wherever her big brothers went, do whatever they did and do it better, seven year-old Katie Stark squeezed between the twins to wrap an arm around her godmother's leg, a wide smile on her face. She wasn't looking forward to saying goodbye to her brothers and cousin, and all of them expected plenty of tears over the next couple of weeks, but hopefully the others would keep her occupied.

"Aunt Peggy, you're late!" Miles declared, arms folded over his chest. Sometimes it amazed her that none of the three children were biologically related to Tony, Steve or Bruce; his expression was the spitting image of Steve.

"I know, and I'm sorry; I had to check in on something at work before coming here," she apologised, leaning down to press a kiss to his hair, doing the same to Isaac and Katie. "How about we go find your fathers, hmm?" She smiled as Katie's hand slipped into hers, and the trio of children dragged her towards the rest of their group.

"Pops! Aunt Peggy's here!" Isaac called, drawing Steve's attention. It was remarkable how much he hadn't aged over the past few years; he looked like he could still be a seventh year himself. The blonde grinned widely at her, and Peggy beamed back, releasing Katie's hand to give Steve a hug, kissing his cheek.

"Hey, Pegs, glad you could make it," he greeted, rolling his eyes as Tony squeezed his way into the hug with a grin on his face.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," she replied fondly. "How are you holding up?" The question was directed to all three men, and Bruce bit his lip.

"Okay for now, but that'll probably change," he murmured honestly. Peggy leaned over to peck his cheek sympathetically. She jumped as a hand rested on her waist, turning to smile at Bucky as he feigned innocence.

"Oh, come here, Barnes." He wrapped her in a tight hug, kissing her hair. "Where's my godson?"

"With Darce and Jane, last I saw. Might have run off with Nat somewhere, you know how they are," he mused wryly. Natalie Coulson, even at the age of eight, was definitely taking after her biological mother. Her and Jamie Barnes were definitely going to be the next Clint and Tasha, and all the adults secretly couldn't wait until Fury had to deal with them. The one-eyed man was still going strong as Headmaster, though Peggy doubted he would be by the time all their kids were done with school. Hell, the Stark twins in themselves were enough to make Fury retire. As smart as their Dad and Papa, twice as mischievous, and with the innocent puppy-eyes of their Pops.

Saying hello to several of her friends as she squeezed through to get to Darcy and Jane, Peggy hardly said hello before reaching to pick her godson up, hugging him tightly. "Aunt Peggy!" he whined, turning bright red and squirming as Natalie giggled by Darcy's side. "'M too big to pick up!"

"Not yet you're not," she declared firmly, though obligingly set him down. "How are you, love?"

"I'm okay," he replied with a shrug. He was trying to be cool about his big sister going away, claiming he didn't really care and was glad to be rid of her, but they all knew he was lying. "Dad says we can have Nat and Ava over tomorrow since Ash isn't gonna be around and Ava's gonna be sad." The girl was a year away from going to Hogwarts, and desperately wanted to be going this year with her three cousins.

"Sounds like fun," Peggy enthused, smiling. A quick glance at her watch showed that they still had time, though it was clear the preparation was beginning. Darcy had stolen little Zach from Jane's arms, bouncing him somewhat restlessly despite his protests of wanting to go see Jorge and Tomas, who were stood while their parents chatted, Fandral with one hand on his son's shoulder and the other around his wife's waist. The dark-haired woman had a hand on her well-rounded stomach, and was leaning into Fandral's side, smiling as Hogun teased her about something. Peggy was still somewhat in awe at how their group had expanded over the years; once Sif had her baby, their group's children would number thirteen. Almost as many as they were themselves. Had someone asked her at the age of eighteen to describe her adult life, she wouldn't have ever _dreamed_ of this.

A smile tugged at her lips as she watched Miles swing from Rhodey's arm, a wide grin on his face as he climbed all over his godfather. The man had come home for just a few days, long enough to spend time with the kids and see them off to school before he was off again. They were all glad for his recent promotion in rank, as it meant he had more time off, and was stationed closer to home far more often. His services as a babysitter were greatly abused, but he adored all the kids so he never complained about it. Uncle Rhodey was everyone's favourite, pretty much.

A loud squeal of joy interrupted her conversation with Darcy and Jane, and she glanced over to see four year-old Grace Hogan being lifted high in the air by Tony, Pepper rolling her eyes in exasperation as she kept an eye on her daughter. Happy was back at the castle, preparing for the new school year — and no doubt warding his classroom in every way possible to protect it from the wonder twins and Ashleigh. He knew them far, far too well by now.

"Put her down, Tony, you'll give her motion sickness!" Jane called amusedly, earning a grin from the man.

"Nahh, she loves it, don't you sweetcheeks?" The girl nodded, still giggling, arms looped around Tony's neck. "Boys, Ash, I think you should start making your rounds. A lot of people to say goodbye to."

"That eager to get rid of us, Uncle Tony?" Ashleigh teased, ducking behind Steve as Tony reached out to tug her ponytail in retaliation.

"Never, but I'm going to need lots of time to cry about it when you're gone," he replied, tone half-serious. Clint snorted, and Tony levelled a knowing look at him. "Don't give me that, Barton; you'll be just as bad when it's your little princess heading off next year." Clint and Phil both looked anxious at the prospect of Ava going to Hogwarts, and Isaac frowned at his dad.

"Did you just call me and Miles your princesses?" he asked warily. Tony pulled him close, ruffling his hair.

"You can be anything you wanna be, little man, and if that's a princess we are behind you one hundred percent. Aren't we, honeybear?" He turned to Bruce, who gave a fondly exasperated look in reply.

"Your dad's being weird, Isaac. Just ignore him."

"Always do!" the blonde replied chirpily. Tony mock-growled, dropping a kiss on his son's head.

"Come on, go hug Aunt Pepper goodbye before she starts crying," he urged, nudging the boy towards Pepper. Darcy had already lost her battle against tears, wiping at her eyes as she talked to Bucky and resolutely pretended nothing was out of the ordinary. Peggy doubted she would be the only one; when Ashleigh came to hug her tight, she had to swallow back the lump in her throat. All of them knew it wasn't the end of the world, that the three would be home for Christmas, but… it would be quieter without them, even with all the other kids about.

"Kit-Kat, you gotta let go of your brother," Tony murmured, trying to ease Katie out of Miles' grasp. She sniffled a little, but let go, latching onto Bruce once he was done saying goodbye to Isaac.

"Miss you, Miles," she said tearfully, and the blonde boy smiled.

"Miss you too, Kit. We'll video call you when we get to the dorms." There was very little doubt that the two boys would be Ravenclaws, like Bruce and Tony, but Ashleigh's sorting was up in the air. Darcy was convinced her girl was a badger, but Peggy was secretly expecting their first lion of the group.

"You'd better," Steve agreed, bundling both twins in a tight hug, ignoring the tears sliding down his cheeks.

"Aww, Pops," Isaac started, frowning when he saw the tears, but Steve shook his head.

"Don't mind me, I'm just being silly," he insisted, wiping at his face with a grin. "You boys have fun, okay? Call us when you get there, say hi to Uncle Happy, and for the love of Merlin please _try_ not to cause too much trouble for Headmaster Fury."

"Or at least don't get caught doing it," Clint cut in. "We've taught you better than that."

"Clint!" The protest came from Bruce, and Phil rolled his eyes at his partner, squeezing his hand.

"He has a point," he reasoned diplomatically. "They all know better than to get caught."

"We won't, Uncle Phil," Isaac assured with a confident grin. "Promise." Phil's lips twitched in a smile, and the train let off a warning whistle, prompting kids of all ages to start hurrying up to get on the train.

"All right, come on," Bucky announced, grabbing Ashleigh's trunk and keeping his jaw squared against the emotion Peggy could see in his eyes. He was determined not to cry at sending his little girl away to school for the first time. "Baby girl, you gotta get a move on. You too, boys."

"Coming, Uncle Buck," Miles called, hugging Katie and Bruce one last time. "Love you, Papa."

"Love you too, kiddo. Have a good time, and look after Ashleigh for us," Bruce replied, running a hand through his son's hair. Miles smirked, looking remarkably like Tony.

"Ash can look after herself," he retorted, before smiling lopsidedly. "But we'll stop her tasering anyone without good reason." Bruce chuckled, shaking his head.

"That's my boy. Just call me if you need anything, and don't forget to visit Pepper for dinner at least once a week."

"We know, Papa," Isaac cut in, grabbing his twin's hand with a roll of his eyes. "We love you all, we'll call, we won't get detention on our first day, Aunt Pepper is watching our every step, _we know_. But we're gonna miss the train soon!"

"Okay, okay, I get the message," Bruce teased. "Go on, Steve will help you with your trunks." After a last quick round of hugs, the three eleven year-olds were safely on the train, heading with trunks in tow to find a compartment.

"At least they've got each other," Bruce mused, leaning into Tony's side, their hands clasped tightly and Katie stood leaning against their legs. Steve had an arm around Tony's shoulders, and was still crying a little. Peggy slipped up beside him, squeezing his arm gently, and he shot her a grateful smile. "Getting on the train alone is the worst."

"Hey, you weren't alone for long," Tony pointed out fondly. "God, we've all come so far since then. Twenty-three years, can you believe it?" He gave a disbelieving snort, shaking his head.

"I know, right?" Clint agreed, arm around Phil's waist. "I wonder what their seven years will be like. Hopefully there'll be some cool people in their year to make friends with." While there were enough 'cousins' for them to have a good friend group, none of them really wanted their kids isolating themselves like that. Especially once they got older and started having crushes; that could get all kinds of weirdly pseudo-incestuous very quickly. But hell, they had Thor and Loki, they were bound to have a few more inter-family relationships.

"I'm sure they'll do great," Bucky declared confidently, Jamie's hand in his as the train pulled away. Peggy wiped at her eyes, feeling her mascara beginning to smudge already.

"Of course they will," she agreed. "They're smart kids, they'll have no problems fitting in. I don't trust the promise not to get detention, but maybe they'll at least wait a week or two." Several people snorted, and Tony gave her a pointed look.

"Have you met the twins?" he retorted dryly. "I give it two days, three at a push."

"I say five," Steve piped up, smiling despite his red-rimmed eyes. "Now how about we get the rest of these guys back to ours for movies and ice cream, hmm?" All the kids listening in cheered and whooped at the idea, prompting their parents to start preparing to apparate away. Peggy released Steve to clear a space for herself, finding it odd not to be keeping a careful eye on twin blonde heads as the group organised themselves. It would take some getting used to, having the three eldest kids away. And no doubt as soon as she got used to it, the year would be up and Ava would be gone, and then before she knew it half the kids would be in Hogwarts.

"Time flies, doesn't it?" Bucky mused, clearly recognising the look on her face. Darcy had already apparated ahead with Jamie, and Peggy realised they were the last two on the platform of their group.

"Doesn't it just?" she agreed softly. "But just think of what we've got to look forward to." They'd had their school years, they were adults and parents and facing the more mundane dramas of life — mundane for them, at least. But they had their kids' whole lives to look forward to, and the most exciting part was about to begin. Despite only being the aunt of all those kids, Peggy loved them like they were her own, and could hardly wait to see what life had in store for them at Hogwarts. If it was anything like her own years, they were going to have _so_ much fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for clarification on the kids:
> 
> Miles and Isaac Stark, age 11  
> Katie Stark, age 7  
> Ashleigh Barnes, age 11  
> James Barnes Jr (Jamie), age 8  
> Hel Odinson, age 8  
> Jorge Odinson, age 5  
> Ava Coulson, age 10  
> Natalie Coulson, age 8  
> Zachary Foster-Blake, age 5  
> Tomas, son of Sif and Fandral (who I never gave a surname), age 5  
> Grace Hogan, age 4
> 
> And before you ask, yes, Miles Stark is a nod to the amazing Motion Practice series :P If you've not read it, go do that now, it's brilliant!


End file.
